Puella Magi Marisa Magica
by Shade Sorcerer
Summary: Marisa Kirisame finds herself in Mitakihara City, courtesy of everyone's favorite Gap-Hag. Said border demon has sensed a disturbance in the... ahem, has felt ill at ease due to a certain group of girls. Will Marisa determine the threat to Gensokyo in time to stop it? Will she have the fortitude to do so...?
1. Chapter 1

Warning: This story contains _MASSIVE_ spoilers for Madoka Magica. If you plan on watching it ever, I would do so before reading this.  
>Note: I generally do not use music cues in my stories, however, since the music of both of these works is absolutely fantastic, there will be exactly three cues. This is to share the music of these works with those who are fans of but one.<p>

Chapter 1

_All_ the Death Threats

"Eh? Where the heck am I?" says a young-looking girl in an alley. Her location and apparent short term memory loss are not the only strange things about this girl, as she is wearing a stereotypical witch's outfit, plus a large bow on the oversized hat. This outfit is even complemented by an old straw broom. "Godsdammit, Yukari! Where'd'ya drop me this time?" the girl demands of the empty air. Stranger still, the air responds, though only with a chuckle. The girl huffs, and then says "Fine, but you owe me some _damn_ good sake when I'm finished with… whatever this is." She takes a look around, examining everyday things, like trash cans, as though she'd never seen them before. The biggest surprise to the girl comes when she looks up, and promptly falls over backwards, uttering an oath as she does so. "Geez. Who needs buildings so big? Is everybody around here giants or something? And what the heck are they made of? This don't look like any wood I've ever seen." she says. She puts her hand on her chin for a while, trying to recall if she's ever seen anything like this before. She touches one, and says "It feels like rock. Wait, giant buildings made a' rock… where've I heard that before… Right! That paper, when Aya interviewed that energetic shrine maiden from the outside… YUKARI! Why the HELL'D you drop me in the outside world!?"  
>The air laughs, and says "I didn't think you would realize where you are so quickly. Congratulations." There is the sound of clapping, and then the 'air' named Yukari falls silent once more.<br>"Course I would. Just 'cuz I talk like this don't mean I'm not smart, you know. Anyway, stop tryin' ta distract me, why'd you ever put someone in the outside?" the girl says. The unseen person stays silent this time. "Fine. Have it your way. But, can't ya at least tell me where I'm suppose'ta be goin'?" the girl says with resignation.  
>"Oh, you needn't worry about that. Your hosts will find you soon enough." Yukari says, once again laughing.<br>"Do you, like, get off on being stupidly vague or something?" the girl says. There is no response. The girl shakes her head, causing the large ribbon on her hat to flop around comically. "Ugh. Guess I'll just hafta wait here." she says, sitting down. She remains seated for a time, but as the sun begins to set, she gets up and starts pacing. "They'd better show up soon, or I'm gonna start tryin' ta get their attention on my own, and you know what _that_ means, don't'cha, Yukari?" she says, pulling out a small, octagonal object and tossing it up and catching it a couple of times.  
>"N-no, I'm sure they'll be here soon. You don't have to do that." Yukari assures the girl, sounding nervous.<p>

As if on cue, a small group of girls enters the alley, all of them wearing school uniforms. One of them says "It should be right around here." As they look around and see only the girl in the ridiculous outfit, one of them, a redhead, says "Mami, I thought we were hunting monsters, not bad cosplayers."  
>The blonde, presumably Mami, says "We are. There should be one around here."<br>"Oi, it's rude ta stare, ya know?" the strangely dressed girl says.  
>"We're sorry. Um… I'm Mami Tomoe. It is a pleasure to meet you." the blonde says politely.<br>"Kyouko." the redhead says flippantly.  
>"Sayaka Miki. Nice to meet you." the one with blue hair says cheerfully.<br>"Homura Akemi." the black-haired one says.  
>"I-I'm Madoka. Madoka Kaname." the one with pink hair says nervously.<br>"Glad ta know your names. I was gettin' tired a' thinkin' of you by color. I'm Marisa Kirisame, just an average, everyday witch." says the girl with the witch outfit. At this statement, all of the schoolgirls, excluding Madoka, transform their clothes and pull out various weapons, all aimed at Marisa. Completely unperturbed by the weapons, Marisa says "Neat trick, think ya could teach it to me? It'd be nice ta never hafta wash my clothes." While doing this, she pulls out the octagonal object that had frightened Yukari earlier. Put off by Marisa's attitude, the girls look at each other. "Well, are we gonna Danmaku or what?" Marisa says, waiting on her broom, which the girls now notice is not touching the ground.  
>"Marisa, Danmaku is not an outside world activity, remember?" Yukari says.<br>"Oh, yeah… Sanae said somethin' about that… Wait, what the heck, guys? You were actually tryin' ta _kill_ me? Some hosts you found, Yukari!" Marisa says. Yukari does not respond.

"Wait… did she just…" Sayaka says.  
>"With the <em>air<em>? I mean, I know witches are weird, but…" Kyouko says.  
>"A-and we're not even in a…" Madoka says.<br>"Now that I think about it, can witches even…" Mami says.  
>"Die." Homura says. She then shoots a rocket at Marisa, who dodges easily.<br>"Oi, low blow! I was yellin' at Gap-hag. You don't just interrupt somebody when they're doin' that." Marisa says. She points the flat side of the octagonal object at Homura, when a tombstone falls between them.  
>A split second later, there is a loud crack, and Homura, holding a gun, says "Damn."<br>"Oi, Yukari, I can defend myself, ya know?" Marisa says.  
>"There are no non-lethality rules out here, and the bullets they use travel much faster than what we use in spell card duels. Whether you believe me or not, you were seconds away from dying, and I can't have you fail <em>this<em> early. That would just be embarrassing, and from the people you're supposed to be helping, no less." Yukari says, laughing. Throughout this mocking, Homura has tried multiple different methods of reaching Marisa, all of which were thwarted by random objects falling from the sky.

"I'm suppose'ta _help_ these people? Four of 'em tried ta kill me the instant they met me! And the other one hasn't done nothin' ta stop 'em!" Marisa complains.  
>"It wasn't when you met them; it was when you said you were a witch. I guess that's some sort of trigger word for them or something." Yukari says.<br>"You want me ta help 'em, and you don't know nothin' about 'em?" Marisa says.  
>There is another loud crack, and Homura, who is now somehow about three feet behind Marisa, swears again.<br>"Please, continue, Miss Homura. I would find oh so much enjoyment in teaching you a lesson personally." Yukari says in a tone that makes Marisa stand straight up and go paper-white.  
>"Uh, Miss Akemi, I would stop <em>now<em> if I were in your shoes. Whatever problems you might have with me, an angry Yukari is _not_ worth it, I assure you." Marisa says.  
>The witch's sudden change in demeanor gives Homura pause. She continues aiming at Marisa for a few more seconds, before putting the gun back wherever she had it stored earlier.<br>"To answer your earlier question, Marisa, you are right. I 'don't know nothin'' about them; in fact, I know enough about them to know that they somehow affect our future. I also know that they are all middle-schoolers, aside from Kyouko, who only wears the uniform to blend in. She should be going to school also, but she skipped so much she got dropped, or something similar. Also, her father murdered the rest of her family before committing suicide. I also know that Sayaka likes a boy who should have been permanently injured, but was somehow healed. Homura was in the hospital for a period of time, and used to need glasses. Mami should have died in a car accident, which, for context, cars are like the large moving thing with lights I use sometimes, but smaller. And Madoka is boring." Yukari says, once again sounding perfectly amicable, although her flawless imitation of Marisa's voice is off-putting.  
>"Oi, don't make fun a' the way I talk!" Marisa says. Yukari chuckles. The schoolgirls and Kyouko simply stand there, jaws dropped.<br>"Anyways, now that they are questioning reality enough for you to talk to them, I'll be going. I'm tired. By the way, don't expect me to save you in the future like I did this time. Goodbye, Marisa." Yukari says.

"Well, bye. Anyway, why did you guys try ta kill me when I said I was a witch?" Marisa says.  
>Madoka, fidgeting with her clothes, says "Well, uh… We… They, uh…"<br>"Geez, girl, spit it out already." Marisa says, eliciting a small laugh from Kyouko, who is quickly silenced by a glare from Sayaka.  
>"We hunt beings of despair that are called witches. They kill people and feed off of their suffering." Mami says.<br>"Well, I don't think I've killed nobody, 'cept the fairies, but they come back, so it don't really count, and I certainly don't feed offa suffering. Least, not unless you wanna call Reimu's cooking suffering." Marisa says with a laugh.  
>"You've killed people?" Sayaka says, once again pulling out her weapon of choice, a sword.<br>"No, I've killed _fairies_. It's different, 'cuz they come back, and they're so dumb they kill themselves pretty often. Once, I watched as a fairy asphyxiated just 'cuz it forgot to breathe. Twenty minutes later, that same fairy got in my way, so I blasted it. On my way back, I saw it get killed again by a stronger fairy. About an hour later, it bugged me 'til I gave it a bit of food." Marisa says.  
>Sayaka just stands there for a moment. Then she says "Is that… normal?"<br>"Yeah, it happens all the time. Almost every day, actually." Marisa says.

Kyouko shakes her head and says "Either way, it's pretty obvious you're not the kind of witch we're looking for."  
>"Agreed. So, Marisa, was it? What are you going to do now? Do you… know where you are, even?" Mami says.<br>"Aside from 'not Gensokyo', nope. Ain't got a clue." Marisa says.  
>"Gensokyo is your home?" Homura says. Marisa nods.<br>"Do you, uh… Do you know how to get back there?" Madoka says.  
>"Nope. But, geez, you're the nervousest person I ever seen. And no, I don't care if nervousest ain't a word." Marisa says, shaking her head. She continues "Anyway, Yukari wouldn't let me back in if I figured out where it was without doin' whatever she wants me ta do, anyways."<br>"You said anyway twice." Kyouko says.  
>Marisa shrugs. "So, which one of ya am I gonna be boarding with anyways?" she says.<br>"What?" all of the other girls say at once.  
>"Yukari said you was my 'hosts'. That means I'm livin' with one of ya, no matter what any of us has to say about the matter. If Yukari wants somethin' ta happen, it happens. End of story. So you may as well decide for yourselves who I'm stayin' with, before Yukari decides for ya." Marisa says.<br>"I, uh, I guess you could live with me." Madoka says.  
>Another voice from the air, different from Yukari's, says "No, she cannot. Miss Yukari said that Marisa is to, under no circumstances, live with either Madoka Kaname or Sayaka Miki, as they are too socially active for Marisa's existence to stay hidden."<br>"Wow, stealth insult, much?" Kyouko and Marisa say at the same time.  
>They look at each other and start laughing, as the voice says "I am merely passing on Miss Yukari's message. Any hidden meaning in it is hers, not mine."<br>"Yeah, right." Kyouko says.  
>"Actually, knowing Ran, she's tellin' the truth." Marisa says.<p>

"Well, much as I think we'd get along, I don't have enough food for two people. Sorry." Kyouko says.  
>"So that leaves you two. Much as I'm sure ya'd <em>love<em> ta have me, Homura, I think I'd rather live with Mami." Marisa says.  
>"No. I don't trust you, so you're rooming with me." Homura says.<br>"So, wait. You don't trust me, so you want me in the same house as you when you're sleeping? And Sanae said _we _was backwards." Marisa says.  
>"Miss Yukari also thought that would be best, as if you could assuage the fears of the least trusting member of their group, it would help you gain the trust of the others." Ran says.<br>"Eh, Ran, you're makin' me sound like a bad guy." Marisa says, scratching the back of her neck.  
>"My apologies. It was not my intent to do so. … Yes? … I'm sorry, Miss Marisa, but something has come up. Goodbye, and good night." Ran says.<p>

The schoolgirls transform their clothes back to normal. "Seriously, could you teach me that spell? Washin' my clothes is such a pain." Marisa says, leaving the girls confused.  
>"I… don't quite understand what you mean." Mami says.<br>"You know, the magic. The spell you're doin' ta change your clothes like that." Marisa says.  
>"It's not… I doubt it's like whatever your magic is like." Homura says.<br>"Ah well, I'll live. Have done for the past however many years." Marisa says.  
>"What do you mean, however many years?" Madoka says.<br>"I stopped countin'. It's not really that important, ya know?" Marisa says.  
>"Of course it is! Your age determines all sorts of things, like when you can drive, when you can drink, when you can get married." Sayaka says.<br>"I've got no clue what you mean by driving, but where I come from, drinking's necessary for survival, and gettin' married's not really somethin' too special." Marisa says.  
>"She means alcohol, stupid. And whadd'ya mean, you don't know what driving is?" Kyouko says.<br>"I mean I don't know what driving is, stupid. At least, not in the way you're talkin' about it." Marisa says, though there is no ill intent behind their insults.  
>"Remember, Kyouko, when that 'Yukari' was talking about us, she gave Marisa a quick explanation on what a car is." Mami says.<br>"Yeah, she said it was like a tiny train. What about it?" Marisa says.  
>"Why'd she describe a train if you already know what it is?" Sayaka says.<br>"'Cuz she likes treatin' me like an idiot." Marisa says.  
>"Anyway, cars are made for transportation, but they don't move on their own. Somebody has to control it. That's what we mean by driving." Mami says.<br>"And is it really that exciting? And why don't you guys just fly everywhere?" Marisa says.  
>"We can't fly." Homura says.<br>Marisa laughs. "You expect me ta believe that ya can pull off a complicated transmutation spell on your clothes, but ya can't do somethin' as simple as not fall? I'm not stupid, ya know." she says.  
>"B-but they really can't." Madoka says.<br>"Holy hell, girl, stop stutterin' already. I can hardly understand what you're sayin'." Marisa says.  
>"You're one to talk, miss 'Imma igno al teh porpa gramm an speki ruls cus a cen'." Sayaka says.<br>"Ah, come off it, blue. You an' I both know my speech ain't that bad." Marisa says.  
>"Yeah, and we both know Madoka is perfectly understandable." Sayaka says.<br>"Anyways, you guys really can't fly, huh? Sucks, it's so convenient." Marisa says with a shrug.

"Well, fun as it is, we didn't just come out here to chat. We came to go witch hunting." Kyouko says.  
>"Yes, and it seems that the witch has left this area." Mami says.<br>"Wait, you said these… Ya need ta come up with a different name for 'em, but these 'witches', you said they feed offa suffering, right? I wonder if your detecty thingy thought Yukari was a witch? I mean, she don't kill people much anymore, but she does feed offa negative emotions, and if she wasn't concealin' herself, she probably'd radiate enough power to be picked up from the moon." Marisa says. She finds a sword, a spear, and two guns at her neck.  
>"You're working with a witch?" The girls say accusingly.<br>"I need ta learn ta keep my mouth shut… No, I'm being forced into this by a Yukari. She's not a 'witch', she's a youkai. And I _certainly_ wouldn't recommend tryin' ta hunt her. It took me, someone who can turn invincible, and someone who can stop time all together ta beat her when she was barely awake and barely tryin'. The only person I know of who _might_ be able ta give her a run for her money is _the highest judge of the court of the dead_. Which also goes to show, if Yukari was evil, we wouldn't be alive, nor would anybody else." Marisa says. The spear and magic rifle are lowered, but Sayaka's sword and Homura's pistol remain where they are.  
>"P-please stop, Homura, Sayaka. S-she says she's here to help, a-and I believe her. R-remember, she hasn't even attacked us yet, e-even though you've threatened her a whole bunch." Madoka says.<br>"She's probably too scared of us to fight." Sayaka says. She looks as though she is going to continue, but is interrupted by Marisa's laughter.  
>"Let's see here, I: A) Beat the snot out of a stuck-up vampire who can control fate. B) Beat the snot out of her little sister, who can destroy <em>anything<em>. C) Beat the snot out of a ghost who can kill anyone. D) Beat the snot out of two immortals, and the doctor who made them that way. E) Beat the snot out of two and a half gods. F) Beat the snot out of a power-mad bird who controls nuclear fusion. What have you done lately?" Marisa says with a crooked smile on her face.  
>"Sh-she's j-just bluffing, I'm sure." Sayaka says, though her sword has dropped a noticeable amount, as has Homura's gun.<br>Marisa takes off her hat, reaches inside, and pulls out a newspaper. The headline reads **Black-White Puts Annoying Goddesses in Their Place!** The sub-header reads **Says she doesn't require payment, but a few valuable items have turned up missing. Watch your stuff!**  
>"I kept this one, 'cuz it's the closest thing to that tengu sayin' somethin' nice about me I got." Marisa says.<br>"What's that bit about 'watch your stuff'?" Kyouko says.  
>"Eh, I'm only borrowing it. They live way longer than me, so they can just have it back when I die." Marisa says with a shrug. Kyouko laughs.<br>"Despite accepting that if you wanted us dead, you would have killed us already, I am suddenly rethinking my decision to have you stay with me." Homura says dryly, putting her gun away.  
>Marisa pats her on the shoulder, saying with a laugh "Knew you had a sense a' humor, Homura! Maybe this won't be so bad after all. Anyway, you aren't livin' any longer than me, so I'm not plannin' on borrowin' any a' your stuff."<br>"Now I _know _you're not human, Marisa. No human alive has ever gotten Homura to make a joke." Sayaka laughs, disappearing her weapon as well.

"This is fun and all, but… Weren't ya gonna go hunt witches or somethin'?" Marisa says. "I'm interested ta see what these things you confused me for are like." she says.  
>Mami laughs nervously while scratching the back of her neck. "Well… um, you see…"<br>"They don't look nothin' like me, do they." Marisa says matter-of-factly.  
>"Nope. Not one bit. Though it's a bit excused 'cuz they don't look anything like each other, either." Kyouko says.<br>"Ah, well. I've been mistaken for a youkai before, so meh." Marisa says, shrugging.  
>"Anyway, yes, we are going to go hunt a witch. Would you like to come along?" Mami says.<br>"Yeah. Yukari said I'm suppose'ta help ya, and if huntin' is what you do, then I guess that's my job for the next however long, too." Marisa says. The native girls, sans Madoka, pull out crystals and start walking, with Madoka and Marisa following.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Trigger Happy

"So, uh, what are those things, anyways? And why don't you got one?" Marisa asks Madoka.  
>"Well, uh… They're, uh, soul gems. I don't have one because I, uh, I didn't make a contract with Kyuubei yet." Madoka says.<br>"Contract?" Marisa says, raising an eyebrow.  
>"Yes, uh… Kyuubei grants us one wish, and in return, we, uh, we fight witches to protect people from them." Madoka says.<br>"That… sounds really uneven ta me. You sure that's all this 'Kyuubei' guy gets outta the deal?" Marisa says.  
>"I'm sure Kyuubei would never try to hurt us! He makes ordinary girls into magical girls that can protect everyone from the witches. I'm sure he's here to help us." Madoka says.<br>"Well, least you're sure a' _somethin',_ Ms. Stutters." Marisa says.  
>"H-hey, that's not very nice." Madoka says, pouting a bit.<br>"And it don't seem terribly _smart_ to me ta be trustin' some guy who gives ya just about everything you want. When somethin' sounds too good ta be true, it probably is." Marisa says. Madoka frowns a bit.

As the group approaches a particularly tall building, Kyouko says "Looks like we got something here."  
>"Indeed. I don't see anyone around, so hopefully it hasn't killed too many people yet." Mami says.<br>"Ready to see the most terrifying thing you've ever laid eyes on, O Arrogant One?" Sayaka says to Marisa.  
>"Bet you I've seen scarier." Marisa says.<br>"I feel sorry for you if you have." Homura says.  
>"Well, we gonna go in or what?" Marisa says.<br>"Yeah, yeah. Hold your horses." Kyouko says. The four girls transform again and ready their weapons. "Now we're ready." Kyouko says.

They enter the building, and the world appears to melt around them. "Well, this's weird, sure, but I still seen scarier." Marisa says.  
>"This's just the house. Wait 'til you meet the owner." Kyouko says with a crooked grin.<br>"Quiet, and we might be able to sneak up on it. Keep yelling, and it'll find us first." Homura says. As the world reconstitutes itself, the floor beneath the group becomes clouds. Buildings reaching to some unseen ground beneath them tower over the girls, and four-winged bird-like creatures fly around the area.  
>"Looks like somebody tried ta remake heaven or somethin'." Marisa says.<br>"And how would you know what heaven looks like?" Sayaka says.  
>"Been there. Beat up one of the residents 'cuz they was causin' trouble." Marisa says.<br>"Of course you have." Homura says, rolling her eyes.  
>"Wow, twice in one day. You sure you're human, Marisa?" Kyouko says.<br>"Last I checked. Anyways, don't we got a monster ta hunt?" Marisa says.  
>"Yes. Follow me." Mami says, heading towards a free-standing door. Everyone does.<p>

"Looks like we been found out." Marisa says.  
>"What makes you say that?" Mami says.<br>"Those birds, they're all flyin' together. In the last place, they was all scattered throughout, not organized like that. I'm guessin' they're probably getting' ready to attack." Marisa says.  
>"I doubt it. That's not how a witch's minions generally act. They're not smart enough to do something like that." Homura says.<br>"Oh. Well, can I blast 'em anyway? I'm gettin' sick a' sneakin' around like this." Marisa says.  
>"We haven't even been here for five minutes! How is your attention span that short?" Sayaka says, loudly enough that the swarm starts flying towards them.<br>"Hey, looks like you got their attention. Guess I do get ta blast 'em, after all." Marisa says, pulling out the octagonal object she had earlier. "This one's my favorite." she says with a grin, before shouting "MAGICANNON – FINAL SPARK!" This causes the small object to shoot a massive beam of light that obliterates the entire swarm.  
>The native girls all duck, and Kyouko says "Way to tell it exactly where we all are, dumbass! Now it's gonna run away!"<br>"Well, maybe ya should'a told me that _before_ I cast my spell." Marisa says.  
>"Well, how the hell were we supposed to know you use a giant 'here we are' sign as a weapon?" Kyouko says.<br>"I can turn it down, ya know." Marisa says indignantly.  
>"So you were showing off." Homura says.<br>"I… Yeah, fine. I was showin' off. What of it?" Marisa says.  
>"Guys, stop. It's our fault, we should have told her that witches run away sometimes." Madoka says.<br>"And she should have known better than to cast one of the most destructive spells allowed by our rules on what was essentially a group of fairies." Yukari says.

"Yeah, what-" Sayaka starts, before realizing exactly who was talking.  
>"Y-Yukari? I-I thought you said you was goin' to sleep." Marisa says nervously.<br>"No, I said I was tired. I said nothing about sleeping. Now, I know I said I wasn't going to help out anymore, but I can't exactly have you killing each other, now can I? So, I'll prevent this 'witch', as you call it, from escaping. If it kills you, though, that's not my problem." Yukari says.  
>"T-thanks, Yukari." Marisa says.<br>"C-can she really do that?" Mami says.  
>"Yes, I can." Yukari says.<br>"Hey, can you tell us where it is, then? It would certainly make this go a lot easier." Sayaka says.  
>"Hm… nope. You're smart girls, you can figure it out." Yukari says.<br>"Yeah, screw you too, Yukari." Marisa mutters.  
>"I'm sure you'd like to do that, wouldn't you, Ma-ri-sa~?" Yukari says.<br>"SCREW OFF!" Marisa yells. Kyouko and Sayaka are snickering. Marisa glares at them.  
>"Now that <em>that<em> misadventure has passed, we should find and kill the witch." Mami says impatiently.  
>"Agreed. A witch's domain is no place for this." says Homura.<br>"Yeah, yeah, we're going." Kyouko says. The girls head through the now-empty 'room' to the next door.

"Well, that's weird lookin'." Marisa says.  
>"That is a witch." Homura says. The 'that' that they are referring to is a gargantuan creature that appears like a stained glass window come to life. Specifically, like a stained glass representation of an angel, though it has no head. It appears entirely two-dimensional, but as it looks the same from all directions, this clearly cannot be true. A piercing shriek fills the air as the witch charges the girls. The girls all jump out of the way, with Homura carrying Madoka. The witch collides with the cloud they were standing on, and it disintegrates.<br>"Oi! You guys take care a' that thing, I'll keep the little guys off your backs!" Marisa yells to the native girls. She starts to shoot a truly staggering amount of magic bullets at the small birds that are attacking them.  
>"Can't you just one-shot the thing with one of your oversized lasers?" Kyouko yells back.<br>"Yeah, if ya wanna wait an hour. The reactor's overheated." Marisa says.  
>"You wasted a one-time thing on some stupid minions? You're a dumbass!" Kyouko says.<br>"How was I suppose'ta know the extra power I put in to make it lethal'd overheat the thing?" Marisa says. Kyouko shakes her head and jumps at the witch.

With all four of the magical girls working together, and with them not having to worry about minions because of Marisa, they make short work of the witch. As the world around them returns to normal, a small black gem falls to the ground, somehow standing on its very narrow point. "Whuzzat? Another one of those soul gem thingies?" Marisa says.  
>"Nope, this is a grief seed." Kyouko says.<br>"They restore our magic, and appear to be the essence, or some such thing, of a witch. Who needs it the most?" Mami says. The girls all look at their soul gems, and Sayaka asks for the grief seed first. Mami tosses it to her, and she holds it up to her dark blue soul gem. The seed absorbs some of the darkness, and her soul gem is now a much lighter color.  
>"Oh so those things tell ya how much energy ya got left? That's handy." Marisa says.<br>"Yes. Although it's not just an indicator. We need to make sure it doesn't run out entirely, as well." Homura says.  
>"What happens then?" Marisa says. Homura merely shakes her head. "You guys know?" Marisa says, addressing the others.<br>"Don't know, and would rather not find out." says Kyouko. Mami and Sayaka nod in agreement.  
>"How do ya know it's somethin' bad, then?" Marisa says.<br>"Because it is." Homura says. Marisa shrugs.  
>"I believe that is enough for tonight. Goodbye, everyone." Mami says. Everyone leaves to go home.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Tell me What Happens"

Marisa and Homura sit in silence in Homura's apartment. Marisa is fiddling with her reactor, and Homura appears to be doing nothing. Homura looks at Marisa and says "You can't help, you know."  
>"Why not?" Marisa says.<br>"No one can help." Homura says.  
>"Then why'd Yukari send me out here? She don't do things that have no purpose." Marisa says.<br>"This 'Yukari' must have underestimated the amount of trouble us four have gotten ourselves into, then." Homura says.  
>"I doubt it. Underestimatin's not really a thing Yukari does." Marisa says.<br>Homura's eyes narrow and she says "Is Yukari perfect, then?"  
>Marisa laughs and says "If she was perfect, she'd'a gotten off her lazy behind and helped ya herself, wouldn't she have? I'd say a better word for her is 'unstoppable'. But even then, that's not quite right. She tried invadin' the moon once, got her butt kicked. Some people say that's what she was goin' for, but I think she jus' overestimated herself."<br>"You just said she doesn't make bad estimates." Homura says.  
>"Yeah, but then again, that happened over a thousand years ago, I think. An' that's the only time I ever heard a' her screwin' up. An' like I said, there are some people that think she lost on purpose." Marisa says.<br>"You seem to be defending her a lot for someone who was 'forced' into this." Homura says.  
>"Well, it was either she sends me, or she sends Reimu, an' I'd kill her myself if she tried ta send Reimu ta do this." Marisa says. "I certainly ain't happy with this, but it's better'n the alternative." she says.<br>Homura's eyes narrow again, and she says "And how do you know you can trust her? How do you know she isn't just doing this for herself?"  
>Marisa raises an eyebrow and says "How do ya trust this Kyuubei guy Madoka was talkin' about earlier?"<br>"I don't." Homura says.  
>"Exactly." Marisa says.<p>

"Speaking of Kyuubei, I imagine he's going to offer you a contract. Whatever you do, don't accept it. I don't care what may have happened in the past, or what you want to change about your life, do not make a contract with it." Homura says.  
>"And why not?" Marisa says.<br>"Just don't." Homura says.  
>"Fine. I wasn't plannin' on it anyways." Marisa says with a shrug.<br>"Good." Homura says.

"So, what happens when your soul gem thingy goes all black? I imagine that's part a' what you meant when you was talking about the trouble ya got yourselves into." Marisa says. Homura just glares at her. Marisa pulls Homura's soul gem out of her pocket and points her reactor at it. "Fine then. What would happen were I to blast it?" she says with a smirk.  
>"How did- Don't! Stop it! Give it back!" Homura yells.<br>"I'll give it back if ya tell me what happens when it breaks." Marisa says.  
>"No just give it back." Homura says, breathing quickly.<br>"I really am curious. It might just break the contract if I shatter this thing, and it's not like it's gonna kill ya." Marisa says.  
>"I said give it BACK!" Homura yells, jumping at Marisa, who shoots a magic bullet at her, knocking her back.<br>"And I said tell me what happens." Marisa says, the smirk gone.  
>Homura coughs, and says "I thought you were here to help us."<br>"Yes, and what Yukari means by that is 'stop you from causing such a grand disaster that it affects us in Gensokyo, which is sealed away from the rest of the world so that stuff that happens out there doesn't affect us'. I'm not here to be nice to you, and, to be honest, I couldn't care less about you or your friends. And since I'm never going to see them again after I'm done with this, that's not likely to change anytime soon. Now, _tell me what happens when they go dark_." Marisa says, charging up the reactor.  
>Homura's eyes are wide and she has become visibly paler. She manages to squeak out "W-we become witches…"<p>

"Thanks." Marisa says, tossing the gem back to its owner. "I'm gonna go ta sleep, see ya tomorrow." she says, laying down on one of the couches and falling asleep. Homura nervously pulls out a gun and points it at the sleeping witch.  
>There is a strange noise, and a purple hole full of eyes appears in the air. A tall blond woman walks out, and says "As I said earlier, Miss Homura, it would give me a great deal of pleasure to personally teach you not to attack Marisa, unless she attacks you first."<br>"But she did attack me first." Homura says.  
>"No, she repelled you. Since you were alone, and were not trying to murder her in her sleep, I felt no need to step in. I would, however, dearly<em> like<em> to step in; it has been quite some time since I got to play with a human. So please, give me a reason." Yukari says with a sadistic smile. Homura points the gun at Yukari and shoots her. Yukari bends down and picks up the bullet that had flattened itself against her skin. Homura drops the gun. "I must say, I very much dislike having my time wasted. You can continue wasting both of our times, or you can go to sleep. I simply hope that if you chose the former, you will provide a great deal of enjoyment for me." Yukari says, still smiling. Homura practically sprints into her bedroom. Yukari chuckles and returns through the purple hole in the air.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

An Angry Yukari

"Morning." Homura says while approaching Sayaka and Madoka. She rubs her eyes and yawns.  
>"Eh, you okay, Homura? You look awful." Sayaka says.<br>"Rough night. Hardly slept at all." Homura says.  
>Madoka says "Did you and Marisa not get along? I have room at home, if you need her to leave."<br>"No! I mean… no, Marisa and I had an argument, and when I was about to throw her out, that Yukari showed up in person. She wants Marisa to stay with me, and I'd… I'd rather never meet her again." Homura says.  
>"Whoa, that scary?" Sayaka says.<br>"Y-yeah… I'd have gotten plenty of sleep, had I not been too afraid to do so." Homura says.  
>"W-what did she do?" Madoka says.<br>"Not much… there's just… something about her. Just the fact that she was there made me afraid…" Homura says.  
><em>Really? That is interesting indeed.<em> says a voice inside the girls' heads.  
><em>Oh, hello Kyuubei.<em> says Madoka happily.  
><em>Hello, Madoka. Now, Mami has already told me some, but what can you tell me about these people from 'Gensokyo'?<em> Kyuubei says. Madoka and Sayaka tell him what they know, with Homura adding a few comments. Homura leaves out, however, Marisa's bit about not caring about any of the girls. _Hmm… I will have to look into this more. You said these 'youkai' are similar to witches, correct?_ Kyuubei says.  
><em>Supposedly. However, Yukari is apparently a youkai, and she looks human and can speak, unlike witches.<em> Homura says.  
><em>And where is this Yukari now?<em> Kyuubei says.  
><em>I don't know. When I left this morning, she was gone, or at least, she wasn't visible.<em> Homura says. _Marisa, though, ought to still be there._  
><em>Hmm… I think I will go and pay her a visit. <em>Kyuubei says.  
><em>Be careful, okay? She seems a little… trigger happy.<em> Sayaka says.

* * *

><p>"I don't get it. Why do I gotta stay cooped up in here? The world can't'a changed <em>that<em> much in a hundred and whatever years since Gensokyo got sealed away." Marisa says to no-one in particular.  
>"Because you cause a mess every time you leave your house even <em>in<em> Gensokyo." Yukari, who is presently half out of a gap and upside-down, says.  
>Marisa jumps and says "Gyach! Geez, Yukari, can't'cha ever just talk ta people normally?"<br>"Of course I can." Yukari says indignantly.  
>"Name one time. And bein' too tired ta be annoyin' don't count." Marisa says.<br>"Well, there was… um… The thing that Suika started. I didn't do anything during that." Yukari says.  
>"Yeah, if ya count makin' it half early evening and half midnight as 'nothing'. Face it, you like showin' off just as much as I do." Marisa says with a chuckle.<br>"Well, there was that… uh… Oh yeah! That time I confronted Tenshi after she rebuilt the shrine! Ha!" Yukari says.  
>"Yeah, and then you blew up the shrine. That <em>also<em> don't count as nothin'." Marisa says.  
>"Fine. If you don't want me here, I'll leave." Yukari pouts, ducking back inside her gap and closing it.<br>"Wait… ugh, now I'm alone again. Damn." Marisa says.

_Are you the one known as Marisa Kirisame?_ a voice in Marisa's head says.  
>"Eh? Who said that?" Marisa says. A small white creature walks out of the shadows.<br>_I did. I am known as Kyuubei._ Kyuubei says.  
>"Oh, I was expectin' somethin'… a little more… not tiny. But yeah, I'm Marisa. Whadd'ya want?" Marisa says.<br>_Firstly, I would like to offer you the choice I have offered to the other 5 girls you have met since your arrival here. Would you like to have one wish, any wish, granted, and become a magical girl in turn?_ Kyuubei says.  
>"Nah, I'm good. My life goal was to learn magic, and I'm sure the natives've already told ya what I can do with that." Marisa says.<br>_Yes. They also mentioned how reckless you are with it._ Kyuubei says. _But you really have no wishes? No desire for world peace? To end famine? To prevent death?_ the creature says.  
>"Well, world peace'd be boring, ending famine'd just make everybody fat, and when ya can just visit the afterlife, death ain't quite as big a deal anymore. Besides, I know some people who can't die, and they just do the same thing day after day. Seems pretty boring to me. So nope. No wishes for me." Marisa says.<br>_Not even to just get back home? _Kyuubei says.  
>At this, Marisa laughs. She says "Look, I don't mean ta be rude or nothin', but even if you <em>could<em> do that in such a way that Yukari couldn't stop you, what's ta stop her from just sendin' me back out here?"

_If you truly do not have any wishes to be granted, then may I ask about the second reason I came here?_ Kyuubei says.  
>"Yeah, what?" Marisa says.<br>_This 'Yukari'. May I speak with her?_ Kyuubei says.  
>"Oh, her? Ya just missed her. She left just about a minute before you showed up." Marisa says.<br>_I see… Do you know any way I might be able to contact her?_ Kyuubei says.  
>"Nope. I know she did somethin' with Reimu's balls a while ago, when we went to hell, but I wasn't in direct contact with her ever." Marisa says, snickering a bit when she said 'Reimu's balls'.<br>_She contacted someone through their reproductive organs?_ Kyuubei says.  
>This, of course, causes Marisa to fall to the ground laughing. After a few minutes, she regains her composure. She says "Nah, it's just a joke some of us got, since she uses these big yin-yang balls as weapons. Course, we never say it in front of her. That'd just be suicide." Marisa says.<br>_I… see… In any case, how do you talk to her if you need to?_ Kyuubei says.  
>"Well, normally, ya gotta either just say her name real loud, or wait 'til she shows up ta talk ta you." Marisa says.<br>_Well, as you can see, I cannot 'say' anything. Could you try to get her attention for me?_ Kyuubei says.  
>"Sure. Oi, Yukari! Ya got a thing that wants ta talk with ya!" Marisa says. She waits a while, then says "Guess she don't wanna talk to ya. She said she ain't gonna protect me, but every scrape I've got myself into so far, she's showed up. Well 'cept that one with Homura last night. Anyways, I feel like she's got a close eye on me, so she must just not wanna talk to ya."<br>_She didn't show up last night? But Homura said she did…_ Kyuubei says.  
>"Not while I was awake, she didn't." Marisa says, shrugging.<br>_Hmm… Interesting… Marisa, would you mind telling me what happened last night?_ Kyuubei says.  
>"Sure. Far as I can remember it, me and Homura got into a fight 'cuz I went overboard yesterday. I told her to shove it, and she didn't take it too kindly. I told her to deal, and she jumped at me. I hit her with a little blast a' magic, and told her to go ta sleep. She grumbled somethin' and I went ta sleep on this couch." Marisa says.<br>_I see. Thank you for your time, Marisa Kirisame._ Kyuubei says.

"Wait, before ya go, I think I get ta ask you some stuff now. What kind'a magic are those soul gems, anyways? I've never seen anything quite like 'em, and I've seen just about everything." Marisa says.  
><em>I would prefer not to answer that question, Marisa.<em> Kyuubei says.  
>"Okay, then. What exactly are witches? I live in a place full'a monsters, and I ain't never seen somethin' like that before." Marisa says.<br>_Witches are the embodiment of the negative emotions of humanity. They must be destroyed, or else they will continue killing until nothing is left. And the only ones who can kill them, or so I thought up until this point, are magical girls._ Kyuubei says.  
>"Yeah, I already heard all that from the girls. What I meant is, where do witches come from? And no 'when a mommy witch and a daddy witch' bull. Where <em>exactly<em> do they come from?" Marisa says.  
><em>When the suffering of humanity due to their emotions becomes too great to contain, a witch is born.<em> Kyuubei says.  
>"Yeah, 'cept that's not exact enough." Marisa says. <em><br>I would prefer not to go into more detail. It is rather gruesome, after all._ Kyuubei says.  
>"Okay, fine. One last question. Probably. Depends on your answer. Anyways, what happens when a soul gem gets destroyed?" Marisa says.<br>_I would prefer not to answer that question, Marisa._ Kyuubei says.  
>"Why?" Marisa says.<br>_Because I would prefer not to answer that question. Is that all?_ Kyuubei says.  
>"It depends. What happens if I blast <em>you?<em>" Marisa says with a wicked grin, holding her reactor in her hands.  
><em>I do not understand. Why would you wish to do that?<em> Kyuubei says.  
>"I dunno, maybe 'cuz you're gettin' all those girls to sign contracts without tellin' 'em the full details of it? That might have somethin' ta do with it, maybe." Marisa says.<br>_If you really must know, a duplicate puppet for me to control would be sent, and I would tell the girls that you are a sociopath who is even more dangerous than the witches. I imagine that is not something you want to have happen, is it?_ Kyuubei says.  
>"Hey, I don't got any problems with you tellin' 'em the truth. Keeps 'em on their toes." Marisa says, still grinning.<p>

**(Youtube video: "Touhou Remix #45 (Metal) Necrofantasia")**

"As much as I agree with you, Marisa, I don't believe doing such a thing _now_ would be a good idea. Anyway, I also have some questions to ask of this Kyuubei creature. Also, Marisa, you're going to have to relay his answers to me. I don't want him poking around in my head. Might not be good for him, you know?" Yukari says, from nowhere.  
>"Yeah, I get ya. Ah, he says he can't actually read minds, though. It's just telepathy, I guess. Not like Satori or nothin'." Marisa says.<br>"And how do you plan on testing this claim?" Yukari says.  
>"Well, if you was there last night, I think you'd know." Marisa says.<br>"Ah, yes. I remember. Alright, I will trust him." Yukari says, exiting a gap, then proceeding to sit on said gap.  
>"I never did understand how you use those things as chairs." Marisa says. Yukari merely shrugs.<p>

"Anyway, Kyuubei. What exactly are those soul gems? I know I've seen something similar somewhere before, but I can't quite remember where." Yukari says.  
><em>As I told Marisa earlier, I would prefer not to answer that question.<em> Kyuubei says.  
>"You appear to be misinformed. I was not granting you a choice in the matter." Yukari says.<br>_Again, as I told Marisa earlier, this is but a puppet of sorts that I am in control of. You cannot threaten me from this location._ Kyuubei says. Yukari tilts her head, then snaps her fingers. Kyuubei begins writhing in pain.  
>"And as I told you, you appear to be misinformed. I was not granting you a choice in the matter." Yukari says. She leaves the creature in its miserable state for a few moments before she snaps again. "Now, what exactly are those soul gems? You can answer, or we can play again." Yukari says.<br>Kyuubei gets up shakily, and then says _I will not tell you. All of us are willing to sacrifice ourselves for the greater good. You cannot threaten, coerce, strong-arm, bribe, or in any other way convince me or anyone else to tell you. And if you insist in meddling further, then we will be forced to kill you._

Yukari's eyes narrow, and the temperature of the room drops drastically. Marisa slowly backs away from the youkai, and starts shivering uncontrollably. The room goes dark, and the temperature spikes. Marisa coughs, and manages to say "Y-Yukari… I-it's too hot… I-I can't breathe." Yukari waves her hand dismissively, and the temperature around Marisa becomes normal suddenly. Marisa collapses, taking large breaths of air.  
>Yukari speaks, but it is not with her normal voice. The sound made is deep, yet screeching, it is distorted and garbled, yet still perfectly understandable. It is as far from both 'human' and 'kind' as possible. It is a sound that by itself can induce nightmares. It is simply indescribable. This voice says "<strong>Y<strong>**_oU_**** a****_P_****p****_ea_****R ****_tO_**** B****_e _****M****_iS_****inF****_Orm_****e****_D_****. I****_ W_****a****_s_**** N****_oT_**** G****_r_****an****_ti_****Ng ****_yO_****u a ****_C_****hoIce ****_I_****n Th****_E_**** M****_aT_****Te****_R._**" The young witch faints, and Kyuubei tries to hide behind some furniture, which promptly vanishes. "**_A_****nsW****_eR_****.**" the terrifying voice demands.  
><em>I-I will n-not a-answer. W-we a-are not a s-spec-cies t-that f-f-feels f-fear, o-or any o-other e-emotions. Y-your t-th-threats w-w-will n-not w-work o-on me.<em> Kyuubei says.  
>"<strong>We<strong>**_Re I_**** no****_T hU_****r****_r_****IE****_d, I_**** woU****_lD_**** F****_in_****d ****_yOU_****r ****_dE_****fI****_ancE_**** Am****_usI_****nG. ****_As iT_**** is, iT****_ iS merElY _****_An_****nOy****_Ing_****. ****_A_****nS****_we_****R.**" Yukari says. Kyuubei begins writhing in pain again. This time, the creature screams, in its own way.  
><em>H-how am I… s-s-suppos-s-sed to t-tell… to t-tell you w-when y-you a-are doing s-such a t-thing… a t-thing to me? <em>Kyuubei says.  
>"<strong>Th<strong>**_E saMe_**** wA****_y y_****Ou ****_jUSt_**** as****_KeD_**** tH****_AT_****.**" Yukari says. She waves her hand, and Kyuubei, despite still feeling immense pain and terror, is able to speak normally.  
><em>We take the souls of the girls we make contracts with and place them in the gems. That way, the girls are more resilient than ordinary humans, a necessity when fighting witches. As such, when a soul gem is destroyed, the owner dies. And when one turns completely dark, the owner transforms into a witch. Please, Mistress Yukari, let me go.<em> Kyuubei says.  
>The room returns to the way it was before Yukari entered, and the gap youkai smiles warmly. "Thank you very much. Have a good day." she says pleasantly, re-entering her gap. Kyuubei flees the room.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Hope

Madoka and the four magical girls are sitting in Mami's apartment. Homura looks busy attempting to not fall asleep on the spot. Sayaka is nervously fidgeting with her soul gem, in ring form. Mami is staring at the table. Madoka seems terribly focused on her hands. The only one seemingly at ease is Kyouko, who says "What's up? Why's everybody down?"  
>"I met Yukari. Hardly slept." Homura says.<br>"Apparently, she was real scary." Sayaka says.  
>"Yeah, and Kyuubei… he w-went to go t-talk to Marisa earlier today…" Madoka says.<br>"And he has yet to return. Normally I wouldn't fear for him, but from what Homura said, and Marisa's reaction when first we met her, I'm worried Yukari may have attacked him." Mami says.  
>"Well, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy… thing… that would get himself into trouble. I know you aren't exactly fond of the thing, Homura, but I don't see what he could've done to get this Yukari person mad at him. I mean, you were shooting at her friend, and she just let you off with a warning. I don't see what a little ball of fluff might've done that would be more dangerous than that." Kyouko says. Homura glares at her. "What? I was just saying. Unless… Did you ever see him do something dangerous? Is that why you don't like him?" Kyouko says. Homura nods.<br>"Why didn't you tell us earlier, Homura?" Mami says.  
>"Would you have trusted me earlier?" Homura says. Mami winces.<br>"Anyways, trust issues aside, would he have been able to do this to Marisa?" Sayaka says.  
>"Doubt it. Would've tried, though." Homura says.<p>

At this point, Kyuubei jumps in through the window, looking ragged. _H-hello, everyone._ he says.  
>"Kyuubei! Are you alright?" Madoka says.<br>_I'm fine… now, at least. I would advise you to stay as far away from Yukari as possible. She is incredibly dangerous, and not at all trustworthy._ Kyuubei says.  
>"W-what happened?" Sayaka says.<br>_I appear to have… angered her… _Kyuubei says.  
>"H-how did you do that? As much as I wish to avoid her also… Can we really? I just… I believe we would be better off knowing how not to anger her, rather than attempting to avoid her." Mami says.<br>_I withheld information from her… she was displeased, and… she forced it out of me… There should be nothing in the universe that can do that… but…_ Kyuubei says.  
>"What kind of information?" Homura says.<br>_You know damn well what information!_ Kyuubei snaps. Madoka nearly falls out of her chair. Sayaka's, Mami's, and Kyouko's jaws drop. Homura's eyes widen, and her head moves back slightly. _I-I'm sorry… There appear to have been lasting effects of her… treatment of me._ Kyuubei says.  
>"And would you like to share that information? Or would you like me to?" Homura says.<br>_I would prefer no-one to share that information, Homura. Of course, I doubt you'll listen to my opinion. It's not like I've been doing this for thousands of- … What did that woman do to me?_ Kyuubei says.  
>"She appears to have given you emotion. Though, whether she did it for our benefit or hers, I don't know." Homura says.<br>"H-how would Kyuubei having emotions help us? And do you mean he didn't before?" Madoka says.  
>"Yes to the second. The first… It doesn't do anything for us four," she indicates the magical girls, "but it could very well save your life." Homura says. "Kyuubei, can you still change someone into a magical girl, despite now understanding our true situation?" she says.<br>_Of course I can. Sacrifice the few for the good of the many. Is that not one of your sayings? That is exactly what I am doing._ Kyuubei says.  
>"For her benefit, apparently. It appears she forgot to add 'compassion' to the emotions she granted you." Homura says vehemently.<br>"I-I don't understand. Kyuubei, what do you mean?" Madoka says.  
><em>It's none of your business. You're not even a magical girl yet.<em> Kyuubei says.  
>"It's more her business than ours, Kyuubei. She's the one who can still turn back." Sayaka says.<br>"Yeah, I want to know this stuff you told her, but from what Homura said, there's nothing we can do about it anymore. So, now I wish I'd known before accepting the contract what exactly I was getting myself into." Kyouko says.  
>"And despite my situation, I would still rather have known of any terms before deciding, had I been able." Mami says.<br>"Tell her exactly what happens to a magical girl, from start to finish, Kyuubei." Homura says.  
><em>Fine. If I don't, you will anyway. It's already ruined, why the hell not. So, to make someone a magical girl, I rip out their souls and stick it in a little gem. Then you go fighting witches 'til you get killed. Unless you don't get killed, in which case, it's until you get depressed. When that happens, you turn into a witch. There, happy now, Homura? I just sped up everyone's witchification by about five years.<em> Kyuubei says, before leaving angrily.

Everyone but Homura and Kyouko is horrified. "You seem to be taking this rather well, Kyouko." Homura says, grabbing Mami's soul gem before she can use it.  
>"Eh, I figured it was something like that. I mean, yeah, it sucks, but hey, as long as we each kill more than one witch, we're still doing the world a favor." Kyouko says.<br>"G-give it back… GIVE IT BACK! GIVE ME BACK! I NEED TO DIE! WE NEED TO DIE!" Mami screams.  
>"And you look like you've done this before, Homura." Kyouko says, grabbing the back of Mami's shirt to prevent her from jumping at Homura.<br>"I have." Homura says. "Hence why I was loathe to tell you earlier."  
>"I… I'm not… How can I… How can he… I don't…" Sayaka says, weeping in the corner she has fled to.<br>"So, why'd you tell us now, then? I mean, some of us still don't seem to be taking it very well." Kyouko says.  
>"How could he… that's just… that's inhuman…" Madoka says, sitting in the fetal position.<br>"Because, we appear to have been given a unique opportunity." Homura says.  
>"Yeah, and what's that?" Kyouko says.<br>"Yukari." Homura says, grinning.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Kill Madoka Kaname

The four magical girls and Madoka barge into Homura's apartment. "Marisa, we need to talk to Yukari!" Mami says.  
>"Woah, woah, woah. Hold up a sec, what's goin' on?" Marisa says.<br>"Apparently Yukari got Kyuubei all sorts of shaken up and now he told us what's up with our contracts and it really sucks but we think Yukari might be able to help so please get her right now!" Sayaka says.  
>"You mean that whole turnin' inta a monster thing? Uh… I guess I'll try to get her, hold on a sec. OI, YUKARI! GET YOUR LAZY BUTT OUT HERE, THE GIRLS WANNA TALK TO YA!" Marisa says.<br>"Hmm… Nope. Sorry, but they got themselves into this, they can get themselves out. Or they can't, but that's really not my problem, now is it?" Yukari's voice says.  
>"Welp, ya heard her. She 'parrantly don't wanna help." Marisa says with a shrug.<br>"B-but… She c-can't just leave them l-like that. W-wasn't she here to help us?" Madoka says.  
>"Firstly, at present, I am nowhere near you, so saying that I'm 'here' to do anything is technically inaccurate. Secondly, I am planning to help you only insofar as I benefit from it. Now tell me, how exactly do I benefit from undoing four stupid little girls' mistakes? I would truly like to know, Miss Madoka." Yukari says.<br>"Then, how about a compromise? I might know what is threatening you, and with all of us working together, we might be able to stop it. If we do that for you, will you then help us?" Homura says.  
>"Depends on whether or not you are correct." Yukari says.<br>"I'm almost certain I am. An extremely powerful witch is going to appear here sometime soon; Walpurgisnacht. It is likely more than capable of breaking through the barrier around your lands, and would massacre your people if it could." Homura says.  
>"And if the five of you can stop it, what makes you think it would be a threat to me?" Yukari says. "I am afraid you are incorrect about the threat. However… The fact that you know that such a powerful thing is to appear, and that you have clearly yet to tell your compatriots, tells me that you know far more than you let on. If you tell me of your own free will what the <em>actual<em> threat to my people is, than I will revert you back to normal." Homura is taken aback. A few seconds go by. Homura collapses, bawling.  
>"Hey, what the hell'd you do to her, bitch?" Kyouko says.<p>

"I did nothing. It seems she decided to tell me with her actions… That is very unfortunate, and I am sorry, but Marisa… Kill Madoka Kaname." Yukari says. The room falls silent, except for Homura's crying.  
>"Wait, what? Y-you're kiddin', right, Yukari? Tell me you're kiddin'." Marisa says.<br>"No, I am not. From Homura's reaction, Madoka will become a magical girl in order to stop Walpurgisnacht, and then her witch will be even stronger, strong enough to be a threat to us. It is unfortunate, but Madoka must die before this happens." Yukari says.  
>The three magical girls that are not weeping in the fetal position have their weapons pointed at Marisa. Marisa, once more unperturbed by the threat of imminent death, says "But Yukari, if we kill this wall-purgy thingy, then don't that mean that Madoka don't gotta turn into a magical girl? Ain't that better'n just killin' her outright? I mean, I know I ain't exactly holdin' the record for moral standin' or nothin', but as a human myself, I'd really rather not be killin' one just 'cuz a' what she might do." Homura stops crying and looks up pleadingly at this.<br>"Hmm… I see your point, but… I'll allow it, but only on the condition that if the fight starts going poorly, you kill her and flee, Marisa. Is that an acceptable compromise, everyone?" Yukari says happily.  
>"Is that a… Hell no, it's not! The only acceptable compromise would be one where Madoka isn't in danger!" Sayaka says.<br>"So, you want me to put her in a completely safe pocket dimension? I suppose that would solve the problem, but… you would never see her again, you know." Yukari says.  
>"That's not… She meant safe from you murdering her." Mami says.<br>"Ah, well, that would be the only one where that is guaranteed. Elsewise, until she becomes an adult, the race which Kyuubei belongs to will be after her. And even then… Well, I do have to eat, and I refuse to devour any humans from my land." Yukari says, her voice indicating a sadistic grin.  
>"Oi, Yukari, enough with the teasin'. This is the best deal we're gonna get outta her, girls, so unless you really want Madoka to die, I'd take it. It sucks, but we're dealin' with Yukari. Expect it to suck." Marisa says, sighing.<br>"Hell no! I'm not going to agree to a deal where one of my friends is gonna die if we screw up!" Kyouko says.  
>Homura composes herself enough to stand and say "Hate to point this out… but we kind of already did that. At least this time, we're being told the complete conditions beforehand. We are, aren't we, Yukari?"<br>"Of course. I'm asking you to do something for me. Would I ever leave out important tidbits, Marisa?" Yukari says sweetly.  
>"Yeah." Marisa says derisively.<br>"G-guys… I-I think we should do it." a nervous voice says.  
>"M-Madoka?" Mami says.<br>"B-but… If we screw up, you're gonna die!" Kyouko says.  
>"W-well… If Homura and Yukari are right… then… If I become a witch, a lot of people are going to die, aren't they?" Madoka says. Homura nods. Madoka continues "I-I don't want to hurt anyone. I don't want to become a witch and kill countless people. But… I'm not strong enough to watch you all die… If the fight with Walpurgisnacht starts going bad… I wouldn't be able to not make the contract. M-Marisa…" Madoka starts crying, then, through her tears, says "Marisa, if the fight s-starts going badly… I… I want you to kill me." A sad sounding violin starts playing in the background.<br>"Yukari. Knock it off." Marisa says, and the violin ceases. Then, to Madoka, she says "Yeah. I'll do it. But… First, I'll make sure that that don't need to happen. I'll stomp this Wall-purgy thingy so hard, there won't even be ashes left!" She smiles confidently.  
>"Well then. Now that we've gotten that settled, and everyone's happy with the terms, preparation time! I'll leave you girls to do whatever it is you need to do. Ta-ta!" Yukari says happily.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Planning

After everyone has recovered from the last encounter with Yukari, they are sitting on the couches in Homura's apartment. "We'll need as many grief seeds as possible. I'm sorry to ask this of you, Mami, Sayaka, but we can't hunt familiars. It would just waste our magic, and that is not something we can afford to do. Walpurgisnacht is far too strong for us to be anything less than in peak condition." Homura says.  
>"You fought it before?" Marisa says.<br>"Yes… I barely escaped alive. Everyone else…" Homura says.  
>"T-that's horrible." Madoka says, her eyes wide.<br>"Do we really have to?" Sayaka says, looking torn.  
>"I understand your plight, but if it helps any, think of it this way. Yes, those familiars will kill people, but… But if we kill them, then Walpurgisnacht or… will kill far more." Homura says. Madoka looks down upon the omission.<br>"Well, my magic recharges naturally. If ya really want me to, I could hunt the familiars for ya. Course, you'd still need ta show me where they are." Marisa says.  
>"I guess I'll do that then. You three can handle a few witches by yourselves, can't you?" says, to everyone's surprise, Kyouko.<br>"I thought you didn't approve of hunting familiars though, Kyouko." Mami says.  
>"Yeah, well, special circumstances and all." Kyouko says with a grin.<br>"T-thanks, Kyouko." Sayaka says.  
>"No prob." Kyouko says, smiling.<p>

"So, anyways, what's the game plan 'gainst Wall-purgy-not, or whatever its name is?" Marisa says.  
>"Walpurgisnacht. Well… I've made some preparations, but… I think you might be the only one of us that can really kill it. We'll do as much as we can, weaken it, and you'll have to finish it off with that oversized laser you used yesterday." Homura says.<br>"Got it. Wait 'til it can't take no more, than blast it." Marisa says.  
>"Until then, you should probably stay back. We magical girls can take far more punishment than a normal human. The whole thing would be pointless if you died halfway through the fight… and…" Homura gets up, causing the other girls to look at her quizzically, and, gesturing for Marisa to follow her, heads toward a corner of the room. She continues, when Marisa gets there, "Don't bother worrying about us. I would be surprised if we all survived this battle. I just need you to stay with Madoka until then and make sure that she doesn't make a contract with Kyuubey. It doesn't matter what happens or who dies, but just don't let her. Please." Marisa nods. They head back to the rest of the girls.<br>"What was that all about? Something else no-one's ever going to tell us?" Kyouko says.  
>"Yup." Marisa says.<br>"Hmph. Secrets don't exactly help us work together, you know." Sayaka says.  
>"Eh, it's nothin' that really involves you anyways." Marisa says.<br>"Why does it involve you, then? What was it about?" Mami says.  
>"Meh, it's jus' somethin' I need ta do. The reason she told me over there is 'cuz ya'd try ta stop me if ya knew what it was." Marisa says.<br>"A-alright. If you say so…" Madoka says.

"Alrighty then, so… Basically, business as usual for you guys? Least 'til Wall-purgy-not shows up. By the way… When's that gonna happen, Homura?" Marisa says.  
>"In a couple of weeks. We have roughly fifteen days to prepare." Homura says.<br>"Alright. So, we huntin' tonight?" Marisa says.  
>"I… don't think that that would be a good idea. I imagine we are all thoroughly exhausted from the events of today." Mami says.<br>"Agreed. We should rest up tonight, and then begin our preparations tomorrow. Everyone who can afford to skip school should do so. We need as many grief seeds as possible." Homura says. Kyouko, Mami, Sayaka, and Madoka head to their respective homes.

* * *

><p>"So, what was that yesterday about not caring about us? If that's the case, then why are you sticking your neck out for us?" Homura says.<br>"Just 'cuz I don't care about ya as people doesn't mean I wanna kill one a' ya 'cuz it'll make my life a bit easier. I'm not the nicest person around, yeah, but that don't mean I wanna be a murderer. Heck, Reimu'd probably kill me if I did somethin' like that." Marisa says.  
>"Then why'd you threaten to break my soul gem last night? That would have certainly killed me, you know." Homura says.<br>"Yeah, _now_ I know. Last night? Nope. No idea. Sorry 'bout that, by the way." Marisa says.  
>"Apology accepted." Homura says. They sit on the couches silently for a few minutes, before Homura says "You know, if you try to lay a finger on Madoka, I'll kill you myself."<br>Marisa says "Well, if your plan works the way it's suppose'ta, I won't need to. But… Sorry black, but my friends back home're more important ta me than you guys. If I gotta kill her ta stop her from makin' a contract…"  
>"Let's hope that doesn't become necessary, then." Homura says.<br>"Agreed." Marisa says, before lying down and going to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Sirs Not Appearing in this Story

As the familiar's domain dissolves around them, Marisa looks at her reactor nervously. "What's up?" Kyouko says.  
>"It's not much, just… Well, I guess it kinda is, but, I'm worried one Spark ain't gonna be enough to take to take down Walpurgisnacht. Don't… Ugh. This sucks, but, don't tell Sayaka, but I think a better use a' my time'd be to fix this thing so it don't overheat so damn quick." Marisa says.<br>"Yeah, probably. Having access to infinite one-shot lasers would definitely help a lot. But… You can actually say Walpurgisnacht?" Kyouko says.  
>"Course I can. I just say it dumb 'cuz it makes Homura mad. Anyways, though, I'd need stuff from my workshop, and I don't get the feelin' that Yukari'd be willin' to help with that, which sucks. Course, I could always threaten to just blast some stuff and announce my presence to the world, but threatenin' Yukari more'n once a month with crazy stuff like that ain't how someone lives a long, happy life." Marisa says, looking down.<br>"Damn. Well, if you told her that it'd help us out, don't you think she'd go for it? I mean, she's trying to save her people just as much as we're trying to save Madoka, so… Wouldn't it be a win-win?" Kyouko says.  
>"Yeah, 'cept Yukari thinks weird, an' if she really wanted Madoka dead or this whole mess resolved easy, she'd just mess with reality a bit. There's prob'ly some stupid lesson for someone tangled up in here, and for some reason, Yukari likes goin' <em>real<em> far when tryin' ta teach someone. Must say though, it certainly makes the lesson stick." Marisa says.  
>"What kind of lesson could this possibly teach someone? All I'm getting out of our situation is 'don't trust morally ambiguous talking stuffed animals' and 'remember that important things are important'." Kyouko says.<br>"I got no idea. Maybe somethin' 'bout improvisin' or somethin'. Speakin' a' which, ah… where's the nearest forest? If I had some mushrooms, I could probably whip up somethin' that'll make me just as resilient as you guys." Marisa says.  
>"Wait, you actually make potions and shit? I think you're taking the whole 'traditional witch' thing a bit far. What if you poison yourself? What're we going to do then?" Kyouko says, laughing.<br>"Oi! I been doin' this ever since Dad kicked me out! You can trust me to know which mushrooms will and won't kill me." Marisa says indignantly.

"Wait. Your dad kicked you out?" Kyouko says.  
>"Yeah. Disowned me when I was ten. Threw me on the street 'cuz I wanted to practice magic. Funny thing, though… If he hadn't'a done that, I'd probably not be near as good a magician as I am today. So, I guess maybe he knew he couldn't help me with it. So if that's why he threw me out, 'cuz the fastest way ta learn somethin' is ta need it to survive, then maybe I owe him a thanks. Course, that ain't gonna happen 'til I rough him up a little for givin' me the boot." Marisa says.<br>"Hmm… so, good bad dad?" Kyouko says.  
>"Yeah, I guess. What about you? Yukari said somethin' about your dad, uh… Yeah… I mean, if you don't wanna talk about it, I get it. But if you do, then, well, I kinda would understand." Marisa says.<br>"Nah, it's fine. My own damn fault, anyways. My dad, he was a preacher, you know, for the church. Do they got those in Gensokyo?" Kyouko says.  
>"Like, Christianity? Yeah, 'bout that… nah, never mind. It ain't your fault. Yeah, I know what a church is, roughly." Marisa says.<br>"What's not my fault?" Kyouko says.  
>"Well, the youkai and the gods, they need people ta believe in them, else they just kinda disappear. With Christianity on the rise, a lot of 'em were in danger of that, so that's why Gensokyo's sealed away from the rest of the world in the first place." Marisa says.<br>"Oh, uh… Sorry about that." Kyouko says.  
>"Unless you're a <em>lot<em> older than ya look, it weren't your fault." Marisa says, laughing.  
>"Anyways, dad was a preacher, but one day, he decided that the Bible was kind of, uh… not up to date, I guess. So he started preaching some stuff that wasn't in it, and I mean, it was stuff that anybody with half a brain would agree with, but since it wasn't vanilla Christianity, people just didn't listen. They stopped showing up, and we went broke. Dad got pretty bad for a while, and that's when Kyuubei showed his stupid-ass face. Being a naïve little girl, I made my wish to have people listen to Dad. And they did, but when he found out why, he called me a witch, and he… yeah. He did that…" Kyouko says, looking down. Marisa looks down, scratching the back of her neck.<p>

After a few moments, Marisa says "So, uh… That forest. Uh, is there one around here?"  
>"Uh, yeah… Over this way." Kyouko says, gesturing for Marisa to follow.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Former Futures

The three magical girls not with Marisa are in Mami's apartment. "Homura, do we actually stand a chance of beating Walpurgisnacht?" Mami says.  
>"Normally, I'd say not really. With Marisa's help, though, we might be able to." Homura says.<br>"So it's still not guaranteed. What are… What are we going to do if Marisa decides to start going after Madoka? I mean… If you're right, then…" Sayaka says.  
>"I'm going to try to stop her. You're welcome to do whatever you like. Know though, that I will not let you stop me from saving her." Homura says.<br>"I've been meaning to ask, Homura. Why do you care about Madoka so much? And how do you know what's going to happen if she makes a wish?" Mami says.  
>Homura sighs. "I… I've done this before. And I don't mean with different people. I've lived the past few weeks over and over again, to try to save Madoka. That's what my wish was. To go back in time and help Madoka." she says.<br>"Really…? How… How many times…?" Sayaka says.  
>"I stopped counting. But… with Marisa helping us, I think I can do it this time. This is also the only the second or third time all of us have lasted this long. Normally…" Homura sighs, then continues "Normally one or both of you would be dead by now. Kyouko wouldn't last much longer, and then it would just be me against Walpurgisnacht."<br>"You… you failed that many times? How did you keep going?" Mami says, astonished.  
>"Easy. If I stop, I die. Or rather, if I stop, I become a witch." Homura says.<p>

"H-how do you live with that hanging over your head all the time? I don't even know if I can live with it just for these next few weeks…" Sayaka says.  
>"No. Don't think like that. It's stuff like that that makes you so prone to going witch. And if you go, Kyouko goes with you. Mami, Marisa and I can't do this by ourselves." Homura says.<br>"Great. Now you tell me that everything's riding on me, too." Sayaka says with a chuckle.  
>"I'm serious. Make sure you stay positive." Homura says.<br>Sayaka bursts into laughter. "You're telling me to stay positive? Is the world coming to an end? But, seriously, I don't plan on wigging out anytime soon." she says.  
>"Yes, yes, I'm an emo. You've used that joke three times in as many days." Homura snaps.<br>"And it's still just as funny as it was the first time." Sayaka says, smiling sweetly.

"Out of a sense of preservation, what has killed us past this point in time?" Mami says.  
>"You've never survived this long and been killed by anything other than Walpurgisnacht or Madoka." Homura says.<br>"You mean, Madoka's witch?" Mami says.  
>"No. Every time Sayaka becomes a witch, if you are still alive, you try to kill all of us. Remember how you felt when Kyuubei told you that we become witches? Normally, you would have acted on that, killing Kyouko first. Then you would try to kill me, but Madoka would stop you." Mami looks down, shame-faced. "And as for you Sayaka, we still have yet to pass the date of your latest transformation, so you need to be careful. Of course, these are not the only ways your life can end. We've never had a witch hunting spree prior to Walpurgisnacht's arrival, so you would normally meet up with none of these witches." Homura says.<br>"Speaking of a witch hunting spree, shouldn't we be starting?" Sayaka says.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Magic Mishap

"W-What the hell happened to my apartment!?" Homura says, upon seeing the mess of magical equipment and tomes covering the majority of her floor.  
>"Oh, this? I just asked Yukari for some a' my stuff, try ta fix this stupid thing so it don't overheat so fast." Marisa says, holding up her reactor. "I must say, though, I'm kinda surprised she actually brought it. I mean, I expected her ta be all like 'Nope, it's your problem, you figure out how to fix it' like she always does. She even brought over my alchemical equipment! I thought I was gonna need ta make the potions from scratch." Marisa says.<br>"I-It's a mess! Clean it up!" Homura says.  
>"It is clean, though. I know exactly where everythin' is, and it's all organized. Ain't that the definition a' clean?" Marisa says.<br>"No! That's… Just, get it off the floor." Homura says.  
>"And put it where? You ain't exactly got a lot a' table space, and what you do, I need for the potions." Marisa says.<p>

"Hey, Marisa, it's not here!" Kyouko says, standing up from beneath one of the larger piles of books, all of which are navy blue.  
>"Course it ain't there, idiot. I told ya it was in the <em>dark<em> blue pile." Marisa says. Homura looks like she is about to faint.  
>"And this isn't dark blue?" Kyouko says.<br>"Course it ain't. That's _navy_ blue. Dark blue's off that way." Marisa says, pointing over her shoulder. Kyouko sighs and heads to the other side of the room. She jumps into the pile of dark blue books. "Oi, Homura. If ya really want everyone ta survive, make yourself useful and find On Magic Consumption and Efficiency: How to get the Most Bang for Your Buck, by Mima. It's in the puke green, thirty-three centimeters down from the top, and about ten centimeters left, from my perspective, of Potions for Fun and Profit: How to Out-Drink an Oni and More!, which should be right about in the middle. Which reminds me: Oi, Madoka, you find my An Encyclopedia of Magic Mushrooms yet?" Marisa says. Homura just faints. "Huh, what's wrong with her?" Marisa says.  
>"Um… There are two books with that title. One of them says it's by Komachi Onozuka, and the other one says it's by you." Madoka says.<br>"Right now, I want the one I wrote. I'll treat y'all ta Komachi's once we all get through this." Marisa says, laughing.

Madoka makes her way over to Marisa and gasps when she sees Homura unconscious on the floor. "Eh, don't worry 'bout her. Guess she don't like what I did with the place." Marisa laughs, then continues "Anyways, I need that book Mima wrote. You heard the directions, right?" Madoka nods, and then, after setting the encyclopedia down, goes over to the puke green books.  
>"The thin one, right?" Kyouko shouts from the pile of dark blue books.<br>"Yep, that's the one. C'mon, bring it over here!" Marisa says. Kyouko heads over to her and hands her the book, Total Annihilation: Put Every Ounce of Destruction in your Spells as Possible. "Kay, Kyouko, I need one more book. Uh… Ah damn… I'm gonna have ta say the title out loud, aren't I? Damn." Marisa says.  
>"Why's that bad? Don't tell me it's cursed or something like that." Kyouko says, raising an eyebrow.<br>"Nah, it's nothin' like that. It's just, the book's been banned by Yukari. She says the magic's too strong. Welp, might as well try ta learn as many of the spells as I can, before she takes it from me." Marisa says, frowning.  
>"Sucks, but anyways, what's the name, and where is it? I can't go get it if I don't know where it is." Kyouko says.<br>"Alright. It's the book The Grimoire of Genesis and Apocalypse, by the Goddess Shinki of Makai. Edited by Mima. It's in that tiny pile a' black books over there. Be careful, though, 'cuz some of those books _are_ cursed. And **_don't open the book_**. I don't know what affect it'll have on somebody whose soul ain't in them anymore." Marisa says.  
>"Whoa, wait, what does it do to somebody who opens it?" Kyouko says.<br>"Well, if a person's natural magic ain't strong enough, it turns 'em into a youkai, just for them to be able to comprehend the stuff. My friend Alice has a copy, but Yukari let's her keep it, 'cuz it's damaged." Marisa says. Kyouko gulps, then heads over to the secluded pile of black books.

Madoka goes over to Marisa with the vomit-colored book of magic amplification and says "Uhm… Marisa? I, uh… I heard what you said to Kyouko, and… Are you sure about this? It, uh, kind of sounds like making a contract with Kyuubei."  
>Marisa chuckles. "Yeah, it kinda does. But, I've actually been ready ta become a youkai for a while now. Ya see, when a magician becomes powerful enough that their magic don't, uh… 'fit', I guess, in a human body, they turn into a youkai anyway. And there's always the chance that it won't turn me, anyways. And heck, all that'll happen if it does is I'll be stronger. Nothin' wrong with that." Marisa says, shrugging.<br>"Well, uh… if you're ready for it, then why didn't you do it a while ago? I mean… It sounds like there isn't that much that's bad about it…" Madoka says.  
>"Well that's… it's tough." Marisa looks down. She wipes the corner of her eye, getting rid of a tear before Madoka can see it forming. She sighs and looks up, then says "Ya see… Well, I've seen somebody use the stronger magic in that book once, and…" she swallows before continuing "Well, the only reason I'm still me is 'cuz I had my copy of that book on me at the time. It's hard ta explain… and hard to think about…" Marisa looks down again.<br>"I-if you d-don't want to t-talk about it, t-that's okay. I-I mean, it's n-none of my business anyways." Madoka says quickly.

"Nah… It's good ta talk about it, and much as I care about Reimu, she's not the best at dealin' with this kind a' stuff. And Alice, well… She lost a lot more'n I did that day, so it'd be like complainin' about a sprained ankle to someone who don't have a foot no more, you know? So there we was, me, Reimu, Mima, and Yuuka. Makai had been sendin' their demons over ta Gensokyo, treatin' it like some kinda tourist attraction or somethin', so we went down there ta stop it. And, well, Shinki didn't take that too well. We was just gonna rough her up a bit, invite her over for tea, and then talk things out like we usually do, but Shinki kinda broke. Ended up tearin' the whole place apart… Killed everybody there, 'cept the people she was aimin' for, us… and her adopted daughter. That's Alice. We had to kill her. She would have continued into Gensokyo, then the rest of the world… Everybody would have died. Well, I should probably explain this first: I yoinked the book on my way to Shinki's throne. This was before everything went to hell. Anyways, of course, Alice didn't exactly take the whole 'her home got burned to the ground and anyone she ever knew died' thing too well, and came after us for revenge. I guess Shinki must have made her age slower, because she still looked like a little girl at the time. About seven or eight, and I imagine the spell probably made her mature slower too. But anyways, we tried to explain to her what happened, but she wouldn't have it. Oh, and this was about a week and a half later, that's why my copy was edited by Mima. Anyway, she attacked us. At first, it seemed like it was just stronger versions of normal attack spells, but then she said something about the 'Ultimate Magic' and the world went dark. When Alice and I woke up, we were both in the Forest of Magic, where I live, and she looked about ten years older. I still looked pretty much the same, though, so it wasn't like any significant time could have passed. Mima, Yuuka, and Reimu were nowhere to be seen. Now, understand, Mima's pretty much my mom. Dad disowned me when I was ten, and, even before then, Mom was never around much. So I was really worried, and demanded that Alice help me look for her. We went to her favorite hangout, Reimu's Shrine, and Reimu was just sitting on the porch, sipping tea like nothing had happened. I went up to her, shouting like an idiot 'Reimu, Reimu! Where's Mima!? Is she okay!?', and Reimu just looked at me and said, and I remember exactly the way she said it, body language and all. She said" Marisa tilts her head quizzically, raises an eyebrow, and puts her pinky on her lower lip. She continues, in an impression of Reimu's voice, "'Mima? Who's that? And who's your friend there?'" Marisa gulps, and wipes away a tear, before saying quietly "She'd never heard of Mima. No, Mima never _existed_. Heck, even Reimu looked different. She was a bit taller, a lot thinner, and her hair was black instead of purple. Do you know what that means must have happened? The _entire universe_ was re-written by that book. I was lucky I didn't have many friends. I probably would have gone insane otherwise. That's why I haven't looked at it until now." Marisa says, looking down. She is silent for a while. "Hmph, I bet Yukari's laughin' her butt off right now. Me, bein' sentimental and melodramatic? But anyways, don't worry about that happening. If Mima could mess with that book without collapsing reality, then so can I." Marisa says, smiling confidently.

Madoka is crying openly. Kyouko quietly sets the book, which she had successfully retrieved without incident, on the table next to Marisa and says "Shit. I thought my life sucked. How the hell are you so upbeat all the time?"  
>"Well, sittin' and mopin' all day wouldn't do jack, other than make Mima mock me for eternity in whatever weird limbo world she's probably in. So I don't. It's not like I've forgotten about it, but it already happened, and the only way ta change it'll probably just screw my life up even more. Anyways, I got everything I need, you can go on home now. I'll make sure Sleepy here gets into a bed." Marisa says, pointing at Homura.<br>"Nah, we'll help. It's not a big problem, and anyways, I want to see you making magic." Kyouko says.  
>"H-how can y-you be so…" Madoka says.<br>Kyouko says "'Cuz she said she's dealing with it, so there's no need for me to be all sorry for her and make her feel worse about it. If she wanted people to feel bad for her-"  
>"I'd go talk to somebody who's good at that kinda stuff. I don't want a pity party. You asked, so I told." Marisa says.<br>"I-I think I'll go home… Okay?" Madoka says, running out of the door and crying.  
>"And that's the girl who wanted to risk her life? Don't she know what that means?" Marisa says.<br>"No, I don't think so. Not really." Kyouko says, shaking her head. They pick up Homura and carry her into her room.

"So, ya want ta see some magic?" Marisa says with a crooked grin.  
>"Hells yeah!" Kyouko says.<br>On Magic Consumption and Efficiency floats into the air to Marisa's left, open to the section on enchantments. Marisa mutters something incomprehensible, and the book splits in half. The first half stays on enchantments, and the second half turns to the section on magical reactors. Total Annihilation floats up in front of the witch, and turns to the section on lasers and sparks. The Grimoire of Genesis and Apocalypse floats up to her right, and opens slightly. Marisa collapses, screaming in agony, and all the books fall.  
>"Marisa!"<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Preparation

"Ugh… What happened?" Marisa says, sitting up and looking around.  
>"You opened that book, and conked out." Kyouko, sitting in a chair beside the bed, says.<br>"Really? Welp, guess I'm a youkai now then. Probably." Marisa says. She looks at Kyouko and says "How long was I out for?"  
>"It's been thirteen days." Homura says disapprovingly, standing in the doorway to what Marisa now realizes is Homura's bedroom.<br>"Ah. So we got, what, like two more days 'til Wall-purgy-not shows up?" Marisa says.  
>"Thirty-six hours." Homura says.<br>"You had us scared shitless. What would've happened if you hadn't woken up in time?" Kyouko says.  
>"Well, that one's easy. Everybody'd have died." Marisa says with a laugh. "But I did, so we don't got to worry 'bout that."<p>

"Where're the others, anyway?" Marisa says.  
>"We didn't tell them you were in a coma. It would likely have made Sayaka become a witch, and then the entire plan would have fallen apart." Homura says.<br>"So, ya mean there's no giant get-well party ready for me or nothin'? I'm hurt." Marisa says, grinning.  
>"Get ready for Walpurgisnacht. As I said, you have thirty-six hours to finish whatever it was you were doing out there." Homura says, leaving.<br>"Right. Kyouko, ya still wanna see that show? I promise it won't stop partway through this time." Marisa says.  
>"Nah, I think I'll pass. See you." Kyouko says, leaving as well.<p>

Marisa gets up and heads into the main room of the apartment. _I should probably look through that grimoire, now that I know it won't do anything else to me._ she thinks, heading over to the table. She looks through the book, paying particular attention to the spells Mima had circled. She comes across one spell, Recreation, that Mima seems to have spent a particular amount of time on. In the corner of the first page is scribbled "NEVER USE IN ENTIRITY" and below that "Yes, I think this is too powerful, and that means you should too, Marisa". Marisa chuckles at this, then looks through the spell, noting the circled parts. On the last page of this spell, which fills a significant portion of the book, Mima has scribbled "If you want the spell I made from this, I wrote all the info. on the back cover. It's tiny writing, though." Marisa immediately goes to the back cover, reading the name of the spell out loud with a nasty smile on her face; "Twilight Spark". _So this is what Mima meant when she said she figured out how to get her revenge on humanity_. Marisa thinks, looking over the spell. It would take a while to prepare, and it most certainly would break the reactor, but the spell described on the back cover of the book in Marisa's hands easily had enough power to wipe all of Gensokyo off the earth. Using it on a single foe would feel like overkill, but that's always been Marisa's favorite solution anyways. She excitedly takes her reactor apart and begins the necessary preparations. A few hours later, and Marisa, exhausted, proudly exclaims "One apocalypse-ready Mini-Hakkero: Completed!", before promptly falling unconscious once more.

* * *

><p>"Wake up, dammit!" Homura says.<br>"Eh, whuzzat?" Marisa says.  
>"You were unconscious <em>again<em>. I'm too busy to protect you from yourself." Homura says angrily.  
>"Hey, hey, calm down. It was just overexertion this time. And I think you'll be <em>real<em> happy with the results. It'll take me about five, ten-ish minutes ta cast it, but I got a spell that'll make it like Wall-purgy-not never existed." Marisa says, grinning.  
>"I think you're overestimating your effectiveness, Marisa." Homura says.<br>"Really? It's derived from a spell that undoes the whole freakin' universe, then rebuilds it. I think that turnin' that into an attack'll have enough power ta vaporize just about anythin'. Although, that reminds me; once I start glowin', you start runnin'. That is, 'less you wanna be violently removed from existence too." Marisa says.  
>"Fine." Homura says. "Are you sure you're not just trying to show off again? I've seen Walpurgisnacht take hits from military grade missiles, and it barely flinched. What is your backup plan, in case it fails?" she says coldly.<br>"Hey, what's up with you? It's almost like ya _want_ me ta fail." Marisa says, and she looks like she is about to say more, but Kyouko, who is leaning on the wall next to the door, interrupts her.  
>"It's not that. I get exactly why Homura's so pissy. We've been fighting witches since we made our contracts, and I'm sure all of us have nearly died at least once. In other words, it's tough for us. We have some trouble with this. Then you waltz in, and just blow apart a familiar with one attack, a big crazy smile on your face, and now you say that this thing that's been the bane of Homura's existence for who knows how long is going to get one-shotted by you. To be honest, it's kind of annoying." She takes a bite of pocky before continuing. "I'm not gonna complain, though. The more firepower, the better, and the faster we get to go back to having almost normal lives again. I say that anything that helps that along is good in my book." she says.<p>

"Oh. Yeah, I guess I kinda see where your comin' from with that. I wouldn't a' been too happy had Sanae come in an' just started resolvin' everythin' by herself. But, then again, if ya want my help, this is how you're gonna get it, Homura. I ain't gonna put everyone in danger just 'cuz a' your pride." Marisa says.  
>Homura glares at her for a bit, then her expression softens. "I… I'm sorry. But really, what if this does fail? Do you have a backup plan?" she says, more politely this time.<br>"Yeah. Grab Madoka an' get the hell outta there. I ain't fightin' anything that can survive a direct hit from Mima's strongest spell." Marisa says.  
>Homura says "So it's not even-"<br>"Don't. Just don't." Marisa says, glaring at Homura.  
>"I-I'm sorry." Homura says, taken aback by Marisa's uncharacteristic anger. "W-who is Mima, anyway?" she asks.<br>"Ya know how you feel 'bout Madoka? It's kinda like that, but add 'took care a' me for who knows how long' and 'taught me almost everything I know' to that, and that's kinda what I feel about Mima. If I thought there was actually anything I could do ta get her back, I would in a heartbeat." Marisa says.  
><em>You could always wish for it.<em> Kyuubei says.

"Suggest that again and makin' new magical girls'll be the absolute _least_ of your worries. Leave, and if I ever see your ugly-ass face again, I'll stomp it into the ground so hard, you'll feel it all the way from wherever you actually are." Marisa says, without turning to face the sudden addition to their conversation.  
><em>I was just-<em> is all Kyuubei gets out before a laser vaporizes it.  
>"Mima'd disown me if I did something that stupid, rat." Marisa says, despite said 'rat' no longer being present.<p>

"So, Walpurgisnacht. You're gonna distract it, I'm gonna kill it, you're gonna get turned back, and I'm gonna go home. Now, I'm going to sleep. Bye." Marisa says, throwing herself onto a couch. Kyouko looks at Homura and shrugs, before leaving the apartment. Homura shakes her head, and goes into her bedroom, going to sleep herself.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Walpurgis Night

Homura, Kyouko, Marisa, Madoka, Mami, and Sayaka are atop a tall building near a river that runs through the center of the city. The rest of the city's residents have been evacuated due to the 'freak storm' heading towards it. Despite the howling winds and pounding rain, the girls seem to be able to hear each other just fine. Kyuubei lurks in the shadows nearby, and Yukari sits upon a gap behind Marisa "To watch the show". When asked why, if she has nothing better to do, she wouldn't help them, she merely laughs. Homura is pointing at various points of the river, explaining the various weapons she has hidden there, everything from guided missiles to plastic explosives. She then points at a place in the sky, telling everyone exactly where Walpurgisnacht will descend. Marisa explains the Twilight Spark to them, and then asks Yukari something. Yukari nods, and Marisa smiles. Kyouko and Sayaka look slightly worried, but then Homura says something to them, and they calm down. Marisa holds out her hand, and Yukari drops something into it. Marisa then shoos the magical girls off to the site of the witch's eventual appearance so that she can prepare her spell in peace.

She begins drawing a magic circle on the ground with the object that Yukari gave her, placing various objects at various locations as she goes. Madoka taps her on the shoulder, but Marisa slaps her hand away. Madoka shies away and begins crying. Marisa stops what she's doing, and, after turning to face the young girl, puts her hands on Madoka's shoulders, saying something. Madoka stops crying, nods, and then sits in one of the incredibly comfortable chairs Yukari has provided. Marisa goes back to the magic circle. Yukari looks surprised suddenly, and allows herself to fall into the gap she was sitting on. Marisa, noticing this, shrugs and once more attempts to work on the magic circle. Yukari returns, and, though she appears to be alone, Marisa can _feel_ that there are other people there. She can't tell who or how many, however, and, deciding that Yukari won't be giving her an explanation anytime soon, she continues to work on the magic circle. She hears Madoka talking and, after she turns to see that Madoka is looking at an apparently empty chair, realizes that Yukari is only hiding these unknown people from her. She shrugs, and once more continues working on the magic circle. She still does not finish however, as Kyuubei wanders a little too close to view and she takes a few seconds to vaporize it again. She sighs, then gets back to the magic circle.

Yukari says something to one of the chairs, preventing Marisa from hearing her, and points at the only _un_comfortable looking chair on the building. The unknown person in chair being talked to grumbles, and changes seats. Yukari gives a short speech that only the unknown people can hear, and places invisible bonds upon some of them. Yukari then says something to Madoka, and all the unknown people and their chairs vanish from both her sight and her memory. Madoka is once more watching the arrival point nervously.

She can't see it, but her friends are taking up their positions. Kyouko and Sayaka are behind one of Kyouko's barriers directly beneath the site. Sayaka nervously grips Kyouko's hand, and Kyouko raises an eyebrow, but decides to let it slide. Homura, having stopped time, is checking once more upon all of the weaponry she has placed around the site. After she finishes, she resumes time and stands upon a tall building to Kyouko's and Sayaka's left, remote ready. Mami also stands atop a tall building, though this one is further away and on the other side of the site.

(Youtube Video: "Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica Ending Full")

The wind picks up, the rain falls faster, and the clouds above the two close-range magical girls part, giving way to Walpurgisnacht. It is an upside-down woman, with the lower half being replaced by gears. It is 'wearing' a blue-and-white dress, and its face is pure white-aside from its red, smiling mouth. It is roughly half the size of a large building. The witch's maniacal laughter figuratively fills the air while its minions do so more literally. Homura, having stopped time, shoots innumerable rocket-propelled grenades at the witch. It shrugs these off, laughing more. Kyouko shouts something, and with her whip-like chain spear, she assaults the creature's head. A burst of fire rages towards her, and she doesn't entirely manage to dodge it. Sayaka rushes over to her and heals the wound, allowing Kyouko to attack once more. This time, Walpurgisnacht responds by sending its minions after the girl. Sayaka busies herself protecting Kyouko from them, but fails to notice one behind herself. The sound of a musket shot is heard, and that minion falls, a hole in its 'head'. Mami discards that musket and creates another one, this time covering Homura, who is running towards an oil truck. Homura leaps onto the vehicle, and with her magic she 'drives' it towards a bridge that is half up, at the top of which is the witch. Yukari grumpily mutters something about stealing techniques, then focuses on the battle once more. The truck collides with the witch, resulting in an impressive explosion, and more laughter from Walpurgisnacht. Homura falls toward the river, and a missile launcher rises out of the water to meet her.

"And then there were three." Yukari says, and indeed, the musket fire has ceased. Mami's skull, and her soul gem, have been crushed against the building she was standing upon by one of Walpurgisnacht's minions. Homura quickly glances up to check what happened, grimaces, and returns to what she was doing; specifically, firing the missiles. The missiles impact Walpurgisnacht, and send it flying. Homura then detonates the ridiculous amount of C-4 she has planted in the building Walpurgisnacht struck. Despite still laughing, the witch does not seem terribly amused this time, and starts magically throwing buildings. Kyouko and Sayaka use these as platforms to reach the creature, and Sayaka tries to shove one of her swords through its face. This fails miserably, and Walpurgisnacht sends her hurtling to the ground. Kyouko is unable to reach her in time, but Sayaka barely manages to survive the fall. She uses her magic to heal herself, and shakily stands back up. Kyouko, clearly aggravated by the witch's treatment of her friend, creates a gargantuan spear, and pierces Walpurgisnacht with it. The witch spins in a circle, snapping the spear. It then incinerates the portion of the spear inside of it, and sends a blast of fire at Kyouko. Gravity helps her descent enough that the attack missed, and she then slows her fall with the help of an elongated spear. She rushes over to the exhausted Sayaka, and whips Walpurgisnacht again with her spear. Walpurgisnacht retaliates with another blast of fire, this one aimed at Sayaka.

"And then there were two." Yukari says, and indeed, Kyouko has tackled Sayaka out of the way, and is completely incinerated by the attack. Homura is busy simply trying to survive against Walpurgisnacht's minions, as is Sayaka. Walpurgisnacht begins traveling towards the large building upon which are Marisa, Yukari, and Madoka. Madoka appears to have been put to sleep by Yukari. The unknown people begin asking Yukari many questions, to the point where she simply blocks their sound. Marisa has completed the magic circle and is most of the way through casting her spell. Yukari looks at the space in front of one of the chairs, and engages in a long conversation with the unknown person there. Homura notices where Walpurgisnacht is heading, and stops time, grabs Sayaka, and positions both her and her friend atop a building in the witch's way. Homura is reduced to a pistol, and Sayaka is throwing her swords. This barely distracts the witch.

"And then there was one." Yukari says, and indeed, Walpurgisnacht took but a second to fire a blast at Sayaka, incinerating her as well. Homura swears, and Marisa begins glowing brightly. Noticing this, Homura stops time, and flees to the building atop which her only remaining friends are. Upon seeing the unconscious Madoka, Homura starts yelling at Yukari. Yukari silences her with a hand wave, but the girl still looks furious. Marisa's reactor floats upwards, positioning itself above Walpurgisnacht. The witch appears not to notice. Marisa shouts "TWILIGHT SPARK!", and the Mini-Hakkero turns itself into a miniature sun. From this 'sun' comes a truly gargantuan beam of light. The sound produced by this is deafening, the air feels like electricity and makes everyone's hair stand on end, and the light is so intense that even Yukari must close her eyes to protect them. Once the sound lets up, and everyone opens their eyes, they see nothing. Neither Walpurgisnacht nor the majority of Mitakihara city survived the attack. Homura's jaw drops, and even Yukari seems slightly taken aback at the amount of destruction before them.

(End Music)

Yukari allows Madoka to awaken, and, after sitting still, stunned by the sight before her, Madoka turns to Homura and asks her something. Homura nods. Madoka looks around, and asks her something else. Homura shakes her head sadly. Madoka begins crying. Marisa puts her hands on Madoka's shoulders and says something. Homura nods in agreement, and Madoka says "I know… I just wish that they were still alive…"

_Wish granted, bitch._


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Yukari's Speech

"I have gathered us here for something very important. Today, we are to decide whether we allow one of the greatest threats our land has known to run free. There has been much debate on either side, with both raising valid points. She shows a blatant disregard for both the rules and the safety of others. She is widely known as the most dangerous practitioner of magic we have seen, well, since I've been alive. As you know, that is quite a span of time. However, her magical knowledge has served us well in the past, and in fact, many things we enjoy today would not be possible without her. There are, in fact, times in which her existence was necessary for the survival of us all. Today, in order to decide if she will be free, we are to judge the worth of Marisa Kirisame. To this end, I have prepared an unsolvable dilemma, and set myself up as a possible opponent. Madoka Kaname will make her wish, willingly or not, and Marisa will have a decision. If she decides against those that have done nothing but help her, the threat of which I speak must be contained. If she opposes her true enemy of this, I believe we can trust her. That is all I have to say on the matter. Are there any questions?"

"How do we know this will even work? We have no proof. I find it difficult to trust you when you refuse to provide any conclusive evidence."

"I can answer that, actually. When she first came to, she came straight to me, asking about it. She wouldn't do that if it wasn't a big deal to her. I trust her."

"Yes, but you are her friend. Your views are biased in this matter."

"Do you question my choices for the board of judges? I am always willing to validate them for you, if you wish."

"I'm sure that will not be necessary, correct? We do not wish to cause problems amongst ourselves with such a heavy matter to decide."

"I agree, although it would be amusing to watch the snake get stomped again."

"Remind me again, who lost the war, frog?"

"This is not the time, you two. Yukari is right. And we should trust the red-white. Her intuition is almost always correct, after all."

"Now then, are we agreed? That this will decide her fate?"

"Yes."

"Yeah."

"Fine."

"Yes."

"Yep."

"Yes. She is beginning to bother me, after all."

"Of course your only input is-"

"Quiet."

(Note: Chapter 14 is being very uncooperative. I'm sorry to say this, but I wouldn't expect it to be posted until Friday at the earliest. I deeply apologize, and I will attempt to power through my writers block and post it as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding.)


	14. Chapter Final

Chapter Final

Inevitable Fate

Homura's incomprehensible scream of rage fills the air as the contract is completed. Kyouko, Mami, and Sayaka come back into existence. Yukari looks slightly taken aback, and Marisa obliterates this Kyuubei, but too late to prevent the contract. Madoka Kaname is now a magical girl.

"GodsDAMNit! We were so close, too!" Marisa shouts.  
>"W-what happened? I thought I…" Kyouko says.<br>"You did. I saw you. I thought I died too… and… why is Madoka a magical girl? Unless…" Sayaka says.  
>"Yes. Kyuubei took a perfectly innocuous remark from the girl and used it to force a contract upon her. However, the means matter not. Marisa, kill her." Yukari says.<br>"No. You know what, Yukari? Fuck you. I'm not gonna kill some little girl when we have a cure for her standin' a few feet from us. Ya already said you can undo this shit, so do it. And, if ya don't, well, I guess I'll just hafta beat some sense into ya, won't I." Marisa says.  
>"M-Marisa? I thought… I thought you said…" Madoka says.<br>"I did, and if you had purposely screwed yourself over, then I wouldn't have cared, but you didn't. It isn't your fault that stupid rat was hanging around. You didn't actually try to do this to yourself, and so you don't deserve to die because of it." Marisa says.

"I see…" Yukari says, hiding her expression with her fan.  
>Mounting her broom, Marisa says. "Girls, stay back. Most of you already died fighting an overpowered abomination, I'm not planning on letting it happen again." she says.<br>"I will not. The outcome of this fight determines whether Madoka lives or dies. I'm not going to put her in danger just because of your pride, Marisa." Homura says.  
>"Yeah, and we should already be dead. It's thanks to Madoka that we get a second chance, and I don't like owing people." Kyouko says.<br>"Madoka is our friend. I will not just sit back and watch as her fate is decided." Mami says.  
>"I… don't have anything else to add to that. So… I agree with everything they said!" Sayaka says.<br>"Aww, nothing about how it wouldn't be fair for me to fight by myself for someone who ain't even my friend? I'm hurt, blue." Marisa says, grinning.  
>"Fine, that. It wouldn't be fair to let you fight… It's too corny to say. I'm helping too!" Sayaka says.<p>

Madoka says "I'll help too. I have these powers now, it wouldn't be-" before getting swallowed up by a gap.  
>"No, you will not be helping. You are the prize of this fight, and are therefore not allowed to participate." Yukari says.<br>"Hey, that's not fair. It's her life that's on the line, she should be allowed to participate." Sayaka says.  
>"Actually, for Gensokyo battles, those kinda would be the rules. Sorry guys." Marisa says.<br>"Well, now that we are done with the self-help section of this fight, may we begin?" Yukari says, her face once more hidden behind her fan.

(Youtube Video: "[Touhou][Request Week][9-4] Magnus Fantasy - Komeiji Records")

Homura garbs Marisa and stops time. "I'm relegated to support for this fight, I'm afraid. I already tried shooting her once. It just made her look at me strangely." she says.  
>"Got it. Get me close to her, and I'll blast her point blank. Else those gaps a' hers'll just eat all my attacks." Marisa says.<br>"Right." Homura says, moving them closer to the boundary demon. Marisa unleashes a massive barrage of stars, and summons a few laser-shooting familiars. Time resumes, and Yukari takes the brunt of the attack.  
>"Ah, yes. The time stopper. We'll just have to fix that, won't we?" Yukari says, smiling wickedly. Nothing visibly happens, but when Homura tries to stop time again, it fails. A magic musket ball slams into the side of Yukari's head, giving Homura enough time to investigate her arm device, and finds the crushed bullet she had shot at Yukari two weeks ago hopelessly caught in the gears. Homura grimaces, and turns her attention back to Yukari.<p>

The gap youkai appears to be having fun fending off both Kyouko and Sayaka with her parasol, while throwing kunai at Marisa and Mami with her fan. She smacks Kyouko in the face, then falls into a gap. Homura feels something land on her shoulders, and looks up. Yukari says "Oh, that's very naughty of you, isn't it?" and stomps on the girl's face. Homura collapses while Yukari jumps off of her. A laser cuts through the area Yukari just was. Mami is about to shoot her, but a swarm of bats flies out of a gap and startles her. The gun-wielding girl's aim is thrown off, and her next shot buries itself in Sayaka's shoulder. Sayaka swears, but heals the wound and continues towards Yukari.

Homura notices something fall next to her as Marisa flies over her. It is a large blue bottle with just one word hastily scrawled on it; Boom. Homura pockets the bottle and stands up. Marisa rams into Yukari, knocking her off balance long enough for Sayaka take a swing at her neck. The sword, as it was created with magic, is able to cut a few centimeters in before the youkai's natural physical resilience stops it. Sayaka, not expecting so little to happen, loses her grip on the sword, which stays imbedded in Yukari's neck. This would be comical, if not for the fact that the now irritated border demon responds by ripping the sword out and stabbing Sayaka in the face with it. Another magic musket ball slams into the back of Yukari's head, staggering her once more. Marisa makes the most of this by taking one of her small explosive bottles and breaking it on Yukari's skull, with the blast knocking both of them to the ground. Kyouko plunges down from the sky spear-first, stabbing Yukari through the chest. Having seen what had happened to Sayaka earlier, Kyouko leaps away from her spear the instant it stops a few inches into the youkai's body. Yukari, falling through a gap and landing upright, rips out the spear and stabs it through a gap, removing Kyouko's arm.

Another musket shot slams into Yukari's face, and the youkai says "I've had enough of that." before creating a gap above Mami. Marisa notices this, and disintegrates the tombstone falling out of the gap with a laser. Homura throws the large bottle at Yukari, and the ground underneath her explodes violently, launching the border demon into the air. Sayaka, having healed her earlier wound, dashes at Yukari, causing a deeper wound with her high speed then her first strike. Marisa shoots a powerful laser at the youkai, sending her further into the air. Kyouko, understanding the cue, strikes Yukari with a giant spear, sending her towards Mami. Mami shouts "Tiro Finale!" and launches a single massive bullet at the youkai, sending her back into the sky. Marisa follows this up with "Star Sign – Dragon Meteor!", slamming Yukari into the ground with a massive laser.

(Youtube Video: "TAMUSIC - 魔女さやかのテーマ")

Yukari stands up, dusts off, and breaks the sky. Right through the center of the sky is a gargantuan gap. "Last Word – Omnipresent Chaos."  
>Upon hearing this, Marisa taps her throat to amplify her voice. "Guys, don't even bother tryin' ta go after her. This ain't her normal one, probably 'cuz she's tryin' ta kill us, but since it's a last word, all we need ta do is survive 'til it wears off and we win. Also, thanks for givin' me time to explain it to 'em, Yukari." Marisa says, grinning.<br>"Of course. We do want this to be fair, after all." Yukari says, smiling. Then, _everything_ falls out of the gap. Swords and spears rain down, point first. Heat-seeking missiles fall by the dozen, exploding on contact with the ground. Multiple trains, cars, and even a few boats are thrown down upon the girls. No less than three houses and an apartment building crash into the ground. Road signs seemingly launch themselves out of the gap, and, unlike all the other objects, are aimed directly at the girls.

One of said road signs rockets past Sayaka's head, causing her to yelp in surprise. This distracts Mami long enough for a missile explosion to send her flying away. She then loses the bottom half of her body to a falling train. Kyouko grabs Mami's upper half, only to get impaled and effectively nailed to the ground by a spear. As she is trying to remove it from her gut, a sign slams itself through her skull, and she goes limp. Another missile drops near Homura, but she is able to get far enough away before it explodes. A sign slams into the ground no more than ten centimeters from her, and she falls over backwards. A sign tears through her neck, decapitating her. The apartment building crashes to the ground next to Sayaka, throwing her off balance long enough for a spear and a sword to impale her shoulders, pinning her to the ground. In this position, there is nothing she can do as a car fall towards her head.

Marisa, having done things like this for many years, and having the added advantage of indefinitely long flight, is faring much better than the other girls. Of course, this also means that Yukari is sending far more after her. An unending stream of signs forces her to keep moving, and there is a cloud of swords and spears above her at all times. Currently Marisa is flying circles around Yukari to avoid the signs, twitch dodging the other projectiles. Yukari puts an end to this when she drops a house in Marisa's path, forcing her to weave back through the hail of road signs. One nicks her hat, but she manages to get through unscathed. Yukari then forces her to repeat the maneuver with a falling train, this time also adding a small boat to the number of things she needs to dodge through. This time, a sign cuts off the back end of her broom, sending her careening to the ground. The impact dazes her, and when she returns to her senses, she sees a house falling towards her, too fast to dodge. She closes her eyes and waits for impact… but it never comes. Marisa opens her eyes, to find all of the things involved in Yukari's spell dissipating. She breathes a sigh of relief, before looking for the other girls.

(End Music)

Marisa finds the mangled bodies of the magical girls, but breathes in relief once again when she sees that all of their soul gems are intact. She says "So, uh… I guess I just wait 'til they regenerate or somethin'? It's certainly takin' 'em a lot longer 'n Mokou or Kaguya." After a while, the magical girls are all in one piece again.  
>At this point, the sound of an audience clapping plays, and Yukari, stepping out of a gap, says "Congratulations! You passed."<br>"I… what, exactly, Yukari?" Marisa says coldly. "I… passed? You mean… this was all some sort of godsdamned TEST!?"  
>"No, actually the gods, at least the Moriya Shrine ones, were in on it too. But it was a test. And you passed! Good for you." Yukari says, an innocent smile on her face.<br>"I am going to kill you _so_ hard." Marisa says, charging up some sort of spell.  
>Yukari cancels it with a simple hand wave, and says "Now, now, don't you want to know what your reward is?"<br>"Fine, I'll humor you. What's my 'reward'?" Marisa says flatly.  
>"Well, first, those two" Yukari points at Homura and Madoka, who she just dropped out of the gap dimension "get to be turned back into normal girls. Unfortunately, the Yama said that the other three need to stay dead, if the other part of your reward is to occur. Well, they'll die either way, but if I do it, then you get the other part of your reward." At this, Mami, Sayaka, and Kyouko fall to the ground, their soul gems in pieces. Madoka's and Homura's soul gems vanish, and they transform back into normal girls, becoming unconscious in the process.<p>

"Course Shiki'd do somethin' like that. Anyways, my part of the reward?" Marisa says.  
>"Yes. You… No, I'd like it better were it a surprise. Come with me, and I'll show you your reward." Yukari says, grinning.<p>

* * *

><p>Epilogue: Marisa<p>

"So, what exactly does Hakugyokurou of all places have to do with my reward?" Marisa says as they wait for the Princess of the Netherworld.  
>"You'll see. I don't want to ruin the surprise, now do I?" Yukari says.<br>Someone behind them calls out "So, I'm free now thanks to you, Marisa. At least, that's what Vacuum over here told me"

(Youtube Video: "Dolls in Pseudo Paradise - Track 10: Reincarnation")

Marisa spins in surprise, saying "M-Mima!? Y-You're okay?"  
>"Of course I am. What, did you think I didn't make a copy of that book for myself?" the green-haired spirit says. "Of course, I wasn't exactly in the most ideal of situations when Alice switched the worlds over. Apparently, people didn't appreciate me over here very much. I can't imagine why." Mima continues, grinning.<br>"I wonder." Marisa says, before the two of them burst out laughing. "Anyways, Yukari, why'd you do all this for me, anyways?"

"Well, one day, Yuyuko contacted me and said that Mima was acting weird. Said she was saying something about world switches and little girls not knowing about magic, and that she was asking to be set free all of a sudden, when the last time that happened was a few hundred years ago. I thought it was just some new strategy to get out. But one day, I was watching you and I saw you with that book, and, more specifically, that 'edited by Mima' bit scrawled on the cover. So I asked Reimu if anything weird happened the day Mima went strange, and after some thinking, she said that you came to her shrine, asking about someone named Mima. She said she couldn't imagine you were talking about the Mima that got sealed away centuries ago, so she said no, she didn't know who Mima was. So I figured that Mima was telling the truth, but I couldn't convince everyone else. She _is_ rather well known for lying, after all. So what I did was, I told them that you would be her supervisor, if we let her free." Yukari says.  
>"Why'd ya wanna let her free in the first place? I mean, not that I'm complainin' or nothing, but I don't realy see any benefit to you in it." Marisa says, before Yukari can continue.<br>"Ah, yes. Well, many of the things we enjoy today would not be possible without her. If we could let such an inventive mind run free, it would certainly be to the benefit of everyone. Anyways, I got everyone to agree, and found a situation which would push you too the limits of your morality. We can't very well have one psychopath in charge of another one. I set myself up as an enemy, to see if you would side with the logical choice, or with the people with whom you were more familiar. If you had killed Madoka, Mima would have stayed locked up for all eternity." Yukari concludes.  
>"Well, that was <em>incredibly<em> long-winded, and fitting for someone of your age. However, I suppose I must thank you nonetheless." Mima says.  
>"You're not exactly young yourself, Mima." Yuyuko says.<br>"What are you talking about? I've only been in this world for a little over a decade. I'm not even fifteen yet." Mima says, cackling.  
>"Well, if that's true, then we're the same age, and you don't get ta boss me around no more." Marisa says with a grin.<br>"Ah, dammit. Well, I can't have that, so I guess I don't get to make any more age jokes, then." Mima says, acting disappointed.  
>"I never said that. She really is pretty old, ain't she?" Marisa says.<br>"Will you stop talking about my age please?" Yukari says.  
>"Nope." Marisa says, at the same time that Mima says "Absolutely not."<p>

"So… We free to go?" Marisa says, looking at Yukari.  
>"Yes. This is everything I wanted to do. You may leave." Yukari says.<br>"Thanks. C'mon Mima, I got this sick house now." Marisa says, leading the spirit out of the netherworld.

"So, Yukari. What did you do with those other girls?" Yuyuko says.  
>"Ah yes, I made them forget about everything. They are also unable to interact with Kyuubei or other members of its race in any way, shape, or form." Yukari says.<p>

(End Music)

* * *

><p>Epilogue: Madoka<p>

(Youtube Video: "Sayaka Miki's theme – Decretum")

"Uhnn… Where… Where am I?" Homura Akemi says, upon waking up.  
>"I… I think we're in the city… I don't really remember what happened. What about you, Homura?" Madoka says.<br>Homura shakes her head, trying to think clearly, then says "I… I think we were… Kyouko challenged us to a contest? Maybe."  
>"Kyouko? Yeah, she…" Madoka says. A look of horror shows itself on her face, and she says "She dared us to go out in that storm. She… She's dead. Her, and Sayaka went with her, and Mami tried to stop them… They're all dead…" The girl bursts into tears. Though crying herself, Homura goes over to try to comfort Madoka.<br>"W-we should… We should get back. I'm sure your parents are w-worried about us. We need to get back." Homura says.  
>The two children hold on to each other for support the entire way back to the shelter.<p>

* * *

><p>New End Note: Both this story and The Scarlet Devil are receiving a sequel in Mother, Where Art Thou (Name subject to change). The first chapter of that story will not be published for some time, but, if you wish to read it, it is recommended that you also read The Scarlet Devil before doing so.<p> 


End file.
